asked the Minister for External Affairs if the Government have any proposals currently before them for the severing of trade links with South Africa.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade with South Africa.
11.
As Deputies are aware, the Government, in accordance with resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations, have imposed an embargo on the sale and shipment of arms or military supplies to South Africa. The Security Council, however, has not decided on any economic sanctions against South Africa and, in the circumstances, the Government do not propose to interfere with the activities of individual Irish firms wishing to trade with that country.
I understand that this question was not reached at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fhéis last Sunday. Can the Minister state if he has received any communication from the United Nations specifically asking the Government to introduce such a procedure?
We have made our views known in the General Assembly and elsewhere on this matter. We are against apartheid in all its forms. However, we consider that resolutions by the General Assembly which cannot be made effective are futile and we are opposed to the futility of passing resolutions for their own sake. We have made it quite clear that, if the Security Council decides on any action in this matter, we will support the action of the Security Council.