asked the Minister for Finance the gross receipts to Ireland from the EC in 1985; and if he will give an estimate of projected receipts for 1986.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Receipts from EC.
25.
Ireland's gross receipts by way of grants and subsidies from the EC budget in 1985 amounted to IR£1,112 million.
It is not possible at this stage to estimate with any accuracy what Ireland's gross receipts will be for 1986. However, I expect that overall our receipts in 1986 will equal if not exceed those in 1985.
Would the Minister not agree that the basic principles of the Common Agricultural Policy and the intervention system, as well as the price stability flowing from that, represent the best guarantee for Ireland of sustained receipts from that area? Would the
Minister agree that any other system, however introduced, in replacement or mitigation of the existing system is not likely to be as successful for Ireland? Would the Minister not also agree that there are damaging effects in the Exchequer absorbing receipts in the non-CAP areas such as the regional fund and the social fund, rather than allocating these moneys to specific projects?
I strongly agree that intervention is extremely important for Ireland and very valuable and that we should do everything possible to maintain it, as we are doing. As far as the other matter is concerned, one can pursue that policy only to the limits of one's financial ability as a country. We have some difficulty with what the Deputy is suggesting. In view of the fact that this country got £1,112 million last year from the EC, I am totally at a loss to understand what the Deputy's party are at in suggesting a renegotiation. A renegotiation will have no other effect than to put in jeopardy all these benefits. I am really puzzled that Deputy Lenihan, who is an astute politician, could have allowed his leader to make suggestions of such a foolish kind when we are gaining so much from the EC.
I do not mind a little bit of comic relief at all——
The Chair has not the same control over answering as asking.
But really, let us have less of the comic relief.
Deputy Haughey has repeated this a number of times. It is, frankly, amazing.
I would appreciate it if the Minister for Finance, of all people, understood that we are around a bargaining table and negotiations are ongoing as far as our EC partners are concerned and that we have to put our cards down strongly on that table. If the Minister wants to be associated with the Minister for Agriculture who runs away from that table and leaves his pack of cards face up so that everybody can see them, so be it.
The Deputy is to resume his seat.
To answer the Minister for Finance, the fact of the matter is that we must renegotiate the whole situation in regard to the Common Agricultural Policy and in regard to other matters of aid to this country and in regard to our whole approach within the EC because the EC themselves have devised an attitude and a policy in recent years where they have departed from and eroded a fundamental tenet of the Treaty of Rome which is the Common Agricultural Policy.
The Deputy is turning this into a Committee Stage debate.
It is in our interests that the EC we joined should be restored and that we restore our other partners within the EC to a due and proper regard for the tenets of the Treaty of Rome and the tenets of the Common Agricultural Policy and the other policies to which we subscribe within the Community.
The fact is that an attempt to renegotiate the terms of our membership would call into question all of our existing gains which would be extremely foolish.
I appeal to you, a Cheann Comhairle, to allow me to raise the Private Notice Question of which we gave notice to you. It concerns 350 jobs in Kildare and they are in imminent danger of being lost.
Please give way to the Chair. In acordance with Standing Orders I ruled this question out of order. The reason for doing so was conveyed to the Deputies by my private secretary and I am not going to allow a discussion on the question now. But, as somebody once said, suffice it to say that I have rarely come across a question which clearly does not qualify for Private Notice.
This reinforces the opinion of people in the outside world that this House is increasingly becoming divorced from everyday life. I am talking about the lives and work of 350 people in Kildare who are going to lose their jobs.
Order please.
I have never taken up your time before.
You will not take much of it now.
If we represent people we are entitled to raise this matter. There are 350 people about to lose their jobs.
Will the Deputy please resume his seat? He must resume his seat. I did not want to say this but——
I want to say a word.
Will the Deputy please resume his seat? I ruled a similar question on the same topic out of order on 7 May and this is put in today.
It is not my business what you do to somebody else. I am here to represent people who are going to lose their jobs. This is a matter that should be aired and I feel that the Chair has a duty to allow it to be aired in this House.
The Deputy should read Standing Orders.
I do not worry too much about Standing Orders, a Cheann Comhairle. But I do feel——
The Deputy will resume his seat.
——that these 350 people have been in their jobs for 28 years and, for the first time ever — we did not impose on your time when we felt there was any opportunity of saving these jobs.
There is a vote coming on tonight and I do not want to deprive the Deputy of voting. But if he does not resume his seat I will have to invoke Standing Orders.
Do you feel in your heart and soul that you made the right decision in this matter?
The Deputy is leaving the Chair no option. If the Deputy does not resume his seat I will have to order him to leave the House.
A Cheann Comhairle, I want to say a word on it.
I am not going to have an argument.
Just hold on a moment. I represent the public. I came here and I represent the public, and I represent the people of Laois-Offaly and, do you know what you are saying to me——
I am ordering Deputy Connolly to leave the House.
We cannot raise any issue in the House.
The Deputy is out of order.
I wanted to raise a matter and I am not allowed.
If the Deputy does not resume his seat——
Just hold on. You did not let me explain.
Because you are shouting away. No, you cannot explain. If you have a request to make you may make it.
Surely I am entitled to a simple explanation. What the people are asking——
No, you are not.
The people are asking what brought us up here.
I will have to name the Deputy.
What brought us up here?
I will have to name the Deputy if he does not resume his seat.
All I want to say is I tried to raise the matter.
(Interruptions.)
I name Deputy Connolly.