asked the Minister for Labour the implication for Ireland of the EEC social welfare programme agreed at the Paris Summit to be introduced on 1st January, 1974.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Social Welfare Programme.
13.
As I indicated in reply to a question in the House on 28th November last, the Commission of the European Communities was invited by the Council of Ministers at their meeting of 9th November, 1972, which I attended, to commence preparatory work on a social programme for the Communities on the lines of the declaration contained in the communiqué issued after the Paris Summit Conference in October.
Until this social programme has been drawn up and agreed, it would not be possible to indicate its full implications for Ireland. However, as we will be a member of EEC from the first of next month we will be in a position to ensure that Ireland's interests are taken fully into account in the formulation of this programme.
Could the Minister give me some information as to the type of social welfare action envisaged in the programme? Is it in relation to the harmonisation of rates of benefit?
It has to do mainly with harmonising and bringing the programmes of countries closer to approximation.
In what respects?
In relation to social welfare, social services and social policy generally.
The Minister has no more information than that? He cannot say in what respects they propose to harmonise?
There are lots of publications available in the EEC on this but they have not been formulated in a proposal. I attended a meeting at which they were discussed. Our main interest in attending that meeting was to ensure that no decision would be taken until after 1st January and we were quite happy to be given the assurance that this matter would be deferred until all the acceding members were present.