asked the Minister for External Affairs whether his attention has been directed to proposed examination by GATT of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement; and, if so, how far he proposes to participate in the examination and discussions arising therefrom.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Examination of Free Trade Agreement.
11.
Our Permanent Representative in Geneva, whose responsibilities include the question of Ireland's relations with the GATT, has been following closely the arrangements for examination by that body of the Free Trade Area Agreement. The GATT Council at its meeting on 24th January decided to set up a Working Party to examine the Agreement and the Council has been assured of Ireland's readiness to co-operate fully in the examination. Irish experts will be available to assist the Working Party when it meets.
Will the Irish representative to whom the Minister refers be in attendance with the Working Party?
Yes. He will be there with experts if called upon.
That is all right, so long as we can be satisfied the Minister will have a representative present at the deliberations of the Working Party.
If he is invited to attend, he will certainly be there.
I would suggest to the Minister that this is an occasion upon which we might suitably stoop to seek an invitation.
We have already done that.
But we have not yet got a reply?
I do not know. We have said we are ready to be there.
I hope our representative will be more fortunate than the underwriters of our foreign loan.