asked the Minister for Finance whether his Department have conducted any study on their own initiative into net employment figures in conditions of free trade up to 1970.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Free Trade Conditions.
28.
In the course of the reviews on industrial progress in 1965 and 1966 estimates of industrial employment in 1970 were made which took account of the reductions in trade barriers provided for in the Free Trade Area Agreement with Britain. These estimates were published in Reports Nos. 14 and 19 of the National Industrial Economic Council. Membership of the European Economic Community would entail a further freeing of trade and the effect of this on total employment requires examination in connection with the reactivation of our application to join the Community. This examination will be made as soon as possible, but any attempt at estimation at this point of time would be premature until we have a clearer picture of the likely out-turn of the application, conditions of entry, the length of any transitional period and other matters subject to negotiation.