It is proposed to take No. 8—Votes 6 to 19 inclusive, Vote 26—and No. 1. It is proposed to take No. 1 at the conclusion of Votes 6 and 19. Private Members' Business will be taken from 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Deputy Coughlan: Expression of Regret. - Order of Business.
Might I inquire from the Taoiseach in regard to two matters? Does he intend to make any statement in the immediate future on the position of this country's application to join the EEC in the light of President de Gaulle's statement yesterday and is it proposed to announce any further precautions to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease in this country?
I feel those are matters I should have got notice of because they do not seem to arise strictly on the Order of Business. Nevertheless, I do not think there is any reason why I should make a special statement now about our application to join the EEC because I think I covered it very fully last week in answer to a long succession of supplementary questions. I also dealt with the matter in the course of the Fianna Fáil Árd-Fheis.
We were not present.
Simply stated, the position is that our application for full membership is still before the Council of Ministers and that they have not yet come to a decision on it. They will be having another meeting before Christmas.
With regard to the foot and mouth disease, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries proposes to have a press conference this afternoon and any further measures that are necessary will be discussed then, but I do not think there are any special measures of a nature that ought to be brought before the House just now.