andMr. O'Higgins asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for Ireland of the Werner Report on financial integration in the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Financial Resolutions.
6.
It is assumed that the report referred to in the question is that presented to the Council of the European Communities on 15th October, 1970. At the Luxembourg meeting on 30th June last the Community's spokesman said in reference to this and other matters relating to the internal development of the Community that the guidelines adopted by the Community will be presented as Community positions in the negotiations with the applicants for membership. It would be premature to comment until the Community position has been communicated to us.
7.
asked the Minister for External Affairs what requirements, in respect of constitutional changes or neutrality, have been demanded, directly or indirectly, by the EEC authorities in the course of preliminary discussions on Ireland's application for membership of the Community.
No requirements such as those mentioned by the Deputy have been demanded directly or indirectly by the EEC.
Since to date there have been, as the Minister has admitted, no demands made to him or to the Government in respect of neutrality, why then was there such undue haste on his part implicitly to abandon or to modify or to indicate that there would be a serious departure from the traditional policy of neutrality of this country more particularly when such statements caused, by all accounts, serious concern among Scandinavian countries and in many respects pre-empted the Irish negotiating position and in my opinion caused considerable damage? This was premature and, indeed, irresponsible comment on the part of the Minister.
I think the Labour Party have built around themselves a cocoon——
A what?
——a cocoon of unreal apprehension about membership of the Community.
No. We have respect for our traditions.
The only commitment we made on application was the commitment necessary and demanded of all applicant countries—to accept the Treaties of Rome and Paris. Deputy Desmond is quite wrong. He is like the lawyer in the case who puts the loaded question.
I am not a lawyer, thanks be to God.
He is quite wrong to put in his question an assertion that we have—he used so many words—pre-empted our position. All we did was to say that we accept the Treaties of Rome and Paris, the decisions arising out of them and that we will play our part. The Labour Party have never really got down to studying the Treaty of Rome.
The Minister went further than that of course, a lot further.
At the moment they are in a very difficult position.
An bhfuil tú críochnaithe?
Will the Minister say now whether or not membership of the EEC entails departure from our traditional policy of neutrality as pronounced by Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass?
There is no question in the Treaty of Rome of neutrality, defence or——
That is not the question I asked the Minister.
Do we have a policy of neutrality?
The Taoiseach has already told the Dáil that if we are members of the European Community and enjoying all the benefits of being members of an enlarged community we will play our part in the defence of Europe but it is a totally different situation; it is not an immediate situation and it is not a demand of the negotiation——
May I put it to the Minister——
The Deputy should control his ups and downs.
We do not know whether the Minister is finished or not because he is always standing up.
It is fair comment on his negotiating posture.
May I put it to the Minister that it is fair comment to say that it caused considerable surprise in Brussels and, indeed, caused dismay among the Norwegian and Scandinavian countries that a responsible Minister of State should proceed to Brussels and literally strip the policy of neutrality from the Irish nation and pre-empt his negotiating position and then turn round and blankly say that if we go in we must accept the treaties.
We cannot have a discussion on this.
The Labour Party have adopted this neutrality thing. The whole policy of the Irish Labour Party is to opt out of making decisions.
Oh, no.
Neutrality in some countries is in their Constitutions. In others it is in their law. In ours it was a decision of the Government at the time, in battle, but we have never been neutral since then in taking part in international organisations and making decisions and taking our own independent line.
Question No. 8.
Would the Minister agree that it is fair comment to say that we do not strengthen our bargaining position by gratuitously giving away important concessions such as neutrality? The Minister is well aware of the political significance in Europe of the idea of neutrality. Would the Minister say it is fair criticism by this party and made in the best interests of this country to say that the Minister has weakened our bargaining position vis-à-vis the commission by giving away this political present to the commission before real negotiations had, in fact, opened?
No, totally wrong. We have given nothing away. All we have given is what was demanded, that we would accept the treaties. If a country does not accept the treaties it is not acceptable as an applicant country.
We understood that long ago.
This is the Minister's responsibility and the responsibility of his administration. There is a failure to grasp what should be a negotiating position in this matter and there is a too literal acceptance of the clauses of the Treaty of Rome and how, in fact, that should influence our application. This is a very sound criticism to make of the Government's whole handling of this situation.
The Deputy is quite wrong, totally wrong.
In other words, he is wrong?
He is wrong.
8.
asked the Minister for External Affairs whether the EEC authorities have specifically stated that association, in any form, or trade agreements between this country and the Community are to be ruled out as alternatives to full membership; and, if so, the grounds for such statements.
The question of a possible trade or association agreement between Ireland and the EEC has not arisen in our negotiations as this country's application is for membership under Article 237 of the Treaty of Rome.
9.
asked the Minister for External Affairs what changes, if any, were made in the Constitutions or Fundamental Laws of the Six member states of the EEC following the signing of the Treaty of Rome.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply which I gave to a question by Deputy Richie Ryan on the same subject on 16th June, 1970. Since then the amendment to the Belgian Constitution referred to in that reply has been enacted.
10.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make available to members of the Oireachtas, as a matter of routine, his speeches at the discussions for EEC membership.
Copies of my statement at Luxembourg on 30th June on the occasion of the formal opening of the negotiations with the applicant countries for the enlargement of the Communities were furnished to all Deputies early in July. I am now making available also to Deputies copies of the main statement made by me at the first ministerial meeting between Ireland and the Communities on 21st September. This was a more detailed exposition of matters that will arise in the negotiations. I shall, of course, keep the House fully informed of the progress of the negotiations, but I cannot undertake to make available the text of each and every statement I may make in the course of future discussions.
11.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will indicate the present legal situation in respect of land-purchase by non-nationals in the members states of the EEC, Denmark, Norway and the U.K.; and give details of the various conditions and restrictions applicable to such purchases.
The subject matter of the Deputy's question is a complex one and full up-to-date information is not immediately available. If the Deputy will repeat the question in three weeks time I hope to be able to supply the desired information.