asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if in view of the possible implications for our neutrality, he will request the IIRS to publish the terms of the agreement between the IIRS and the United States Department of Defence and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Irish Neutrality.
558.
The agreement between the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards and the United States Department of Defence is a commercial agreement between the two parties under which each party is permitted to certify conformity to agreed product standard specifications. As such the agreement has no implications for Ireland's neutrality. It is not normal business practice to publish commercial agreements of this nature. A copy of the agreement is available for examination in the IIRS library at Ballymun.
As I mentioned in a reply to Deputy Gregory-Independent on this subject on 9 May 1985, this agreement was concluded to facilitate access to the US market for Irish manufactured products and thereby help to create and safeguard jobs in Irish industry.