asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is any proposal to the Council of Ministers of the European Community to postpone the implementation of direct elections to the European Parliament; and the position the Government intend to take on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - European Parliament Elections.
3.
There is no proposal before the Council of Ministers to postpone the implementation of direct elections to the European Parliament and the second part of the Deputy's question does not therefore arise.
As the Deputy will be aware the European Council meeting in Rome on 1st and 2nd December, 1975, agreed that direct elections to the Parliament should take place on a single date in May or June, 1978, with the proviso that any country which at that date is unable to hold direct elections should be allowed to appoint its representatives from amongst the elected members of its national Parliament. As a party to that agreement Ireland is fully committed to the holding of direct elections to the European Parliament in 1978. Only Britain and Denmark have intimated that they might not be able to accept that date: Britain because it requires a further period for internal consultations before adopting a final position regarding the date fixed and Denmark because, for an initial period at least, it wishes to hold European elections on the same date as national elections. I should add that even if Britain and Denmark are unable to hold direct elections on an agreed date in 1978 this would not in any way prevent the other member states from holding elections on that date.
Do I take it from that reply that the Government have decided we will be holding direct elections to the European Parliament in May or June, 1978?
The Deputy may take it we are committed to the holding of direct elections but, as the Deputy knows, the question of what is now called the modalities and, in particular, the number and distribution of seats are not yet established.
Subject to that we are committed to the holding of direct elections in May or June, 1978.
That is right.
At what stage are we likely to know the method whereby we will participate in these direct elections? In other words, when will we know the constituencies, apart from the number of candidates and the method of election, and whether by proportional representation or the single transferable vote?
I have not got that information.
When are we likely to have that information available to us?
If the Deputy puts down a question I will get it for him.