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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 17 Jul 1969

Vol. 241 No. 6

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.

18.

asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a statement on the discussions and outcome of his recent visit to Brussels.

19.

asked the Minister for External Affairs the outcome of his discussions in Brussels and London on the prospect of enlarging the EEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

20.

asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a statement to the House on the outcome of his recent visits to Brussels and London concerning the Government's application to join the EEC.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 19 and 20 together.

As I wished to make early contact with the Governments of the Six and with the EEC Commission, I had discussions with the Belgian Foreign Minister, M. Pierre Harmel, M. Jean Rey, President of the Commission and Signor Eduardo Martino, Commissioner in charge of External Relations, and with Dr. Joseph Luns, Netherlands Foreign Minister and current Chairman of the Council of the EEC. I also had discussions with Mr. Stewart, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary.

In all my discussions I reiterated Ireland's continuing deep interest in membership of the EEC at the earliest opportunity. I expressed concern at the suggestion which had been voiced in certain quarters that enlargement of the community should be approached by stages and that Britain should be admitted first, leaving the position of the other three applicants for settlement at a later stage. I explained the serious consequences this would have for the Irish economy and emphasised our desire that our negotiations should commence simultaneously with those of Britain, and that our accession to the Communities should take place at the same time as that of Britain.

From all my discussions I received the general impression that the possibility of enlargement of the communities has again become a live issue and that a decision on the question of opening negotiations might be taken within the coming six months.

I received assurances of support for our application from all the EEC personalities to whom I spoke and, as for the question of enlargement to Seven first, I found no evidence of official support for this.

I subsequently had conversations yesterday in Dublin with Mr. Jahn, State Secretary in the Federal German Foreign Ministry. He assured me of full German support for our position.

May I ask was the Minister surprised to read in this morning's newspapers the views attributed to the Monet group on the question of a community of seven States?

I was not surprised. The suggestion has been raised in certain quarters and I was aware that Monsieur Monet was keen on a community of seven. My meetings with the Foreign Ministers was worthwhile because I was able to make it quite clear that we did not accept the idea of a community of seven in any way — that it would be very serious for our economy if Britain were admitted at an earlier stage than we were. I found strong support from the Belgian Foreign Minister and the German representative. I pointed out that our stand now is what it was in 1967 — that we felt there should be negotiations for the four applicant States at the same time. I explained to Dr. Luns what the Irish people want and he said that he would make it clear to all his colleagues — he is meeting Monsieur Schumann tomorrow and there is a meeting of the Commission later in the month — that they should look after our interests.

Could the Minister tell us what attitude the British have in relation to their separate application— the attitude of the British Foreign Minister?

The British do not have a say on this. It is a decision for the Six.

The British spoke out on this before.

I think the official British attitude is towards simultaneous negotiations. Britain is an applicant just like we are, like Norway and Denmark.

The Minister has been telling us what they said to him. Did he say to them, as he said to the German Foreign Minister, that we were prepared to accept full defence commitments, or had he the authority of this House to make such a statement?

We have no reservations whatever about our application to become part of the European Community. We know there are political and economic obligations and that whenever the defence of Europe arises we will play our part.

The Taoiseach said two days ago that this House would decide whether we were to take part in any military pact. Would it not be better if this matter was debated fully in the House?

Could the Minister in the immediate future, in view of the long period that has elapsed since our application was lodged, issue some statement, or some white paper, or some working paper, indicating precisely what is now his interpretation of the current indications of membership of the EEC? He said he was prepared to accept the economic and political commitments of the EEC. What is his conception of these commitments at this time, in view of the period that has elapsed since our application?

Our position has been stated frequently and our current position is what it was two or three years ago.

It has changed considerably.

Our position has not changed under the Treaty of Rome and under our agreement to undertake the obligations involved in that. The Minister for Finance dealt with the question of defence before his visit to Europe with the Taoiseach in 1967, and he was able to approach the other people in the community in the knowledge that this House passed the motion unanimously before the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach went. This is on record.

That is not correct. The Minister has put a twist on it.

The Deputy is as inaccurate now as he was yesterday.

Never mind about yesterday. We are talking about today.

I do mind about yesterday. The Deputy deliberately misled the House yesterday.

I wish to ask a second and final supplementary. To assist the Minister, I wish to point out that it had been hoped that our entry to the EEC would proceed simultaneously with tariff reductions under the Free Trade Area Agreement with Britain. In view of the fact that we are to have substantial reductions of these tariffs by mid-1970, when they can have a growing and biting impact on Irish industry, are we not to have an indication when we will enter the EEC? Will the Ministers for External Affairs and Finance get together and spell out the implications——

We cannot have a debate on these matters.

Although there is a belief that there is a change of attitude in Europe — there is slight optimism that the next six months will bring about negotiations — I am not quite sure that negotiations will take place in that time. Although we have had a white paper, I think there is a case for a re-statement of the situation.

In view of the statement in regard to the Monet Committee, will the Minister state his attitude to Irish representation on that body so as to ensure that this type of misunderstanding will not arise again?

Because we are committed to join Europe, I think the Irish voice should be heard in any influential place that affects our application. I have said before that membership of the Monet Committee is by invitation to all the individual political parties and trade unions of the countries concerned. I can speak for my party when I say that we should like to be represented in any body with an influential voice.

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