asked the Minister for External Affairs what is the attitude of the Government with regard to Opinion No. 48 on the Council of Europe Budget for 1968, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this Opinion.
Written Answers. - Council of Europe.
53.
This Opinion was examined by the Committee of Ministers at Deputy level and their decision, in which the Irish Representative concurred, was that the very great majority of the estimates submitted by the Assembly were approved, as well as requests for new posts and upgradings.
54.
asked the Minister for External Affairs what is the attitude of the Government with regard to Recommendation 502 on persons wishing to engage in paid employment after retirement which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
The Committee of Ministers has transmitted the text of Recommendation 502 and the Report of the Social Committee to the Governmental Social Committee and the European Public Health Committee, with a request for their observations. When these observations are available, the matter will be given further consideration.
55.
asked the Minisster for External Affairs what is the attitude of the Government with regard to Recommendation 500 on relations between Europe and the developing countries within UNCTAD, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
The following reply, in which the Irish Representative concurred, is being sent to the Assembly at the third part of the XIX Session:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 500 and agrees with the Assembly that the question of development aid is one of the most pressing ones facing Member countries of the Council and other industrialised countries at the present time. It therefore attaches great importance to the proper co-ordination of the policies of Member countries before the next UNCTAD Conference in New Delhi.
"However, the Committee considered that the proper place for Member countries to concert their policies on aid and trade is in the Ministerial Council of OECD, which held a special meeting for this purpose in November.
"The Committee was not, therefore, able to accept the proposal contained in Paragraph 11 of Recommendation 500. It nevertheless decided at its October meeting to communicate the rest of the Recommendation, together with the accompanying report (Document 2285) to the OECD, for information."
The meeting referred to was the annual meeting of the Council of the OECD at Ministerial level, which was largely devoted to a discussion of the subjects to be dealt with at the forthcoming UNCTAD Conference at New Delhi.