asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state the annual contribution made by the State to OECD; and if he can explain the absence of any reference to Ireland in the OECD Observer, No. 12, October, 1964 with special reference to the article Forecasting the Move Away from the Land and why the Irish economy is not reported in this important publication.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Contribution to OECD.
8.
The annual contribution of each member country of the OECD is calculated as a percentage of the total budget of the organisation, which varies from year to year. Ireland's contribution for 1964 has been calculated at the equivalent of £23,380 approximately.
The article in the OECD Observer to which the Deputy refers is a very brief summary of a report entitled "Problems of Manpower in Agriculture" prepared at the request of the organisation by Professor Dovring of the University of Illinois. Ireland was included in this study and is mentioned several times in the report. It is not entirely correct to suggest that there is no reference to Ireland in the summary given in the OECD Observer as this country is mentioned in the chart on page 28.
Furthermore, it is not correct to say that the Irish economy is not reported in the OECD Observer. I would, for example, refer the Deputy to the June, 1964, issue which contains an article on the Government's Programme for Economic Expansion.
Is it a fact that on occasions when analyses of the economy of various countries were published in the OECD Observer, there has not yet been one covering this country? Is the Minister aware that an official of the OECD has stated that the reason it has not appeared is that they asked for certain information from this country and did not get it?
The Deputy seems to have got a wrong report of what was said. If you look at the OECD Observer for June 1964, there is an article there called "An Irish Experiment and its Results" and the article opens up by saying:
The five years 1959 to 1963 witnessed the fastest growth in twentieth century Irish history. How Ireland managed this achievement is explored by the OECD's Economic and Development Review Committee in its newly issued study of the Irish economy.
Surely the Minister is aware that this is not the question I asked. I am not asking about Fianna Fáil propaganda which may appear in any periodical published abroad. I am asking why there are not comparisons given the same as in other countries? Even countries such as Greece can have their comparisons published. Mr. Solomon Barkim of the OECD said he asked for this information and did not get it.
I am afraid neither the Deputy nor the individual concerned did his homework. In this report to which I have referred, there is reference to the Irish economy on pages 9, 11, 15, 25 and 27.
The question I asked was why those specific items on Ireland have not been included in this and similar statements by the OECD? Nothing the Minister says can get away from the fact.
The Deputy need not expect there will be the same extended information in OECD reports on Ireland and the Irish economy as there is in reports on the German, American, British or French economy. Our economy and the growth of the economy have been reviewed by the OECD authorities on many occasions and I have given the Deputy some references to what was published. He should read them.
Would the Minister not agree if Greece can be included, Ireland should also be included?
We have been included.
There is no reference to Ireland in this article because the Minister would not give the information.