asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to this country to date of breaches by the British Government of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement; and whether he now proposes to secure compensatory reparations having regard to the serious balance of trade position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement.
65.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the British import deposit scheme which runs counter to the spirit, if not also the letter, of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement. The cost to the Exchequer of the arrangements made to finance deposits on Irish goods affected by the scheme amounted to £1.26 million in the period up to 31st January, 1970.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the effects of the scheme and other aspects of the operation of the agreement have been the subject of discussions with British Ministers. These discussions are to be continued at a further ministerial meeting to be held in the near future.
Arising out of the Minister's reply and having regard to the fact that the British took ex parte action, would the Minister not consider that, if we cannot bring the negotiations to a successful and early conclusion, the Government should take action on their own account.
Not at all. They thought it was a damn good bargain.
What action?
I am asking the Government to take action so that the position can be restored to what it was before the British took this action on their own part, without prior consultation. Why should we enter into prior consultation with Britain to get leave to correct our own economy when the British did not do it to us?
I am all with the Deputy. We have made our point of view clear to the British. We had a partial meeting before Christmas and we hope to continue it soon with the Ministers of the British Government. We feel strongly about this, as the Deputy does.
Could the Minister not do something instead of feeling strongly about it? That is what we are asking.
Can the Minister give the cost of the breaches of the agreement in respect of cheese and cream?
(Cavan): Can the Minister define a partial meeting?
The Minister has mentioned only one of the breaches of the agreement by the British.
I have not got that separate information.
It arises directly from the question.
The difficulty of getting a time to suit all the Ministers of both sides meant that we could not have full meetings all together before Christmas so we decided to have some of the meetings to outline the situation and to complete it early in the New Year.
Question No. 66.
Can the Minister say why he has not information in respect of cheese and cream?
There is not a specific question about cheese and cream.
There is a question about breaches of the agreement. It does not say anything about import levy. It says "all breaches" and the Minister has referred to only one of the number of breaches that have taken place. I want to know how many breaches there were in respect of cheese and cream. Does the Minister not know that there have been breaches in respect of cheese and cream?
I will be very pleased to give the Deputy that information if he puts down another question.
That is a separate question.
It is not, it is included in this question.
The Deputy will have to accept that when one gets a question that does not specify details one assumes it means the overall.
One picks out the simplest one.
Does the Minister now know there have been breaches in respect of cheese and cream?
Question Time would go on forever if we gave such a detailed flow of information as the Deputy thinks we should give.
Are there all that many breaches of the agreement? The Minister is making the situation worse.
Give them a lecture on how to put down questions.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 66.