asked the Minister for External Affairs if the Treaty of Rome provides for completely free flow of labour between all countries in the Common Market membership.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC: Free Flow of Labour.
4.
The Treaty of Rome provides that, subject to certain qualifications, the free movement of workers shall be ensured within the European Economic Community not later than the expiry of its transitional period. The Community have decided that this period will come to an end on 31st December, 1969.
For the manner and conditions in which the free movement of workers will be achieved, I refer the Deputy to the detailed provisions of Articles 48 to 51 of the Treaty, a copy of which is available in the Dáil Library.
Would the Minister inform the House if there can be any greater freedom of movement of workers in the EEC after the relevant date in 1969 than has in fact existed between this country and Great Britain?
The Deputy can make up his mind on that when he sees it.
I do not think it is unreasonable, when the Minister is asked a question at this time, that he should go on to tell the House what obviously some of his junior supporters do not realise, that the only difference from our point of view in the comparative circumstances of 1969 as referred to in the Minister's answer is that our citizens will have approximately the same facilities elsewhere as they have always enjoyed in Great Britain but they will have the additional handicap of language which is a very heavy one on working men.
Instead of being able to emigrate to Great Britain only, they can emigrate to France, Germany and so on.
That is all the difference.