asked the Taoiseach if he was consulted about the postponement of the European Council meeting planned for Stuttgart on 6-7 June; and the views he expressed in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postponement of European Council Meeting.
1.
In view of the pending general election in the United Kingdom and having consulted all his colleagues on the European Council the current President of the Council, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Helmut Khol, has now posponed the date of the Stuttgart Council until 17-19 June. I was consulted and indicated that I agreed to the postponement.
Indeed, some days before the issue of postponement was raised with us by the German Presidency, I had already taken the step of indicating to the Chancellor my view that impending elections might pose some problems with regard to the meeting proposed for the 6 and 7 June and my confidence in his judgment as to whether the meeting should be posponed.
In taking this initiative I was influenced by the consideration that a European Council held on the eve of a British election could in present circumstances have proved disadvantageous from the point of view of the Community as a whole.
Is the Taoiseach aware there is a general election scheduled for Italy on 26 June and will a similar arrangement to that made in the case of the United Kingdom be considered? Is he further aware that in June 1981 there was a heads of State meeting held on the eve of an election in this country?
There is a precedent for this in 1981 when a particular council was postponed. I think it was the Italian election on that occasion. I understand the Italian Government has given its agreement to the change of date on this occasion even though the new date is just before the Italian election.
Would the Taoiseach comment on my second point that in June 1981 a Heads of State meeting was carried on the day before a general election here?
That may well be. It has happened that this meeting has to concern itself with some very crucial issues, some of which concern the United Kingdom very specifically and, even if the meeting had been adequately prepared in respect of all of the agenda — and I do not think it had been — it seemed to me it would be better for all concerned if the meeting took place after rather than before the British general election. Some of the preparations have not been as good or as adequate, perhaps, as one might have hoped and from that point of view the postponement is also welcome.
Would the Taoiseach agree that in the past when the British budget rebate question was up for decision, as it is again this year, other decisions vital to other nations, and particularly our own in regard to farm prices, were postponed until such time as a satisfactory answer to the budget question was obtained for the British Government? Would the Taoiseach not agree that if we pressed ahead and got agreement on the British budget rebate question we would have had earlier decisions on other matters affecting us rather than letting them drag on?
No, I do not agree at all. Our interest lies in quite the contrary direction. Our interest lies in seeing that the whole question affecting the Community in the future is settled not in a piecemeal way but as far as possible in a global way.