asked the Taoiseach if any further action is proposed by the Government in respect of the application of this country to join the EEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.
1.
Pending the emergence of conditions favourable to an enlargement of the European Economic Community, the Government continue to follow with the closest attention developments bearing on our application for membership of the Community.
The Deputy will be aware from my reply to questions on the 27th September last that Ministers will, in the coming months, have a series of discussions with members of the European Economic Community Commission. Through these discussions and our contacts with the Governments of the Six, we shall continue to emphasise our desire to secure membership of the Community at the earliest appropriate date. We shall also keep ourselves fully informed of Community policies and developments and make known to the Community our special interests in so far as these policies and developments are concerned.
The Taoiseach will be aware that recently Professor Hallstein indicated that while the present balance of payments problem remained in Britain, it is unlikely that the Community will be enlarged. In those circumstances, is it proposed to take any action or any initiative on behalf of this country to press for membership?
That is, in effect, the question to which I have replied. We will, of course, ensure that the Community is aware of our desire to obtain membership at the earliest opportunity, and we shall certainly be seeking action, upon our application for membership as soon as the conditions develop which will ensure that this will be possible.
Pending actual membership, has the question of association or the possibility of a special trade agreement been considered further?
These possibilities are not available. Association is not, as I understand it, available to a country which is eligible for membership, and special trade agreements are not being considered, pending the outcome of the negotiations in the GATT.
I understood the Taoiseach to say in the course of his reply that his contacts with Brussels were designed to keep the Government constantly informed of impending developments in their policies. Did these contacts give him or the Government any timely notice of the increase in the import duties on cattle applicable to cattle exported from Great Britain and from this country which have precipitated the appalling crisis in which we now find ourselves?
That is a separate matter.
I would prefer to have notice of that question as regards the extent to which we were informed in advance of the position.
While I fully understand he might not have the precise information available to him at the moment, one would have thought when drafting this reply referring to the notice available to the Government of the Six's intentions as a result of the close contacts, he would have been able to tell us how this catastrophe came upon us without notice or the situation where the Minister for Agriculture had to tell us three months ago he had no information that such a thing could happen?
This is very irregular.