Vol. 421 No. 9
5 Mr. Taylor asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement outlining the EC Directives for which he is responsible which have not been implemented in Ireland and the date by which each such directive should have been implemented.
My Department have no direct responsibility for the implementation of EC legislation.
In relation to the Central Statistics Office, it is complying to the extent required with all EC statistical legislation with the exception of Directive 78/166 concerning co-ordinated statistics on the business cycle in building and civil engineering which has presented difficulties to a number of member states, including Ireland. The directive was to have been fully implemented by February 1982. The EC are long aware of the implementation difficulties and have not pressed the issue.
Can the Taoiseach give any indication as to when that directive may now be implemented having regard to the fact that it has now been delayed for ten years? Having regard to the fact that all EC Directives are essentially the collective responsibility of the Government rather than the individual responsibility of any particular member of the Government, would the Taoiseach not agree that he should indicate here those directives with which Ireland is not in compliance and if any of those have been seriously delayed?
Apart from Ireland, there are many other countries which have particular difficulties with the directive we are discussing. The countries concerned are Greece, Spain, Italy, the Nethelands and Portugal. I agree that if there is particular difficulty with this, it must be looked at again. This would form the basis of some of the discussions we had at the Council meeting in Lisbon over the weekend. There may well be directives issued from time to time that are not particularly necessary in the overall European context and perhaps the decisions are better taken at national level so that the whole operation could be made more responsive to the needs of ordinary people.
Other Departments have been pressed to bring their implementation of EC Directives up to date. We are not the best, but we are certainly not the worst. Some of the regulations, particulary those in relation to the Department of Agriculture and Food, when finalised would improve our position quite dramatically. We are proceeding along the basis suggested by the Deputy, but individual Departments have their own responsibility in implementing those directives and taking them through the House. It is not the responsibility of the Taoiseach's Department.
Let me ask the Taoiseach about one specific area of legislation which was to have been introduced as a result of an EC Directive. I refer to the area of consumer credit, which we were to have legislated for by the beginning of last year, that is, 18 months ago. I know it has been promised in this House on a number of occasions that the whole area of money lending would be dealt with under this new legislation on consumer credit. Clearly that legislation is required here. Could the Taoiseach indicate when he expects that legislation, arising from an EC Directive, will be implemented?
The Deputy has raised a very specific matter. I would much prefer if he would table a question on that in the ordinary way.
The Taoiseach might like to give an indication.
I can only endorse what the Chair has said, that this is a very specific and separate question from what is here. It is a matter for the Minister for Industry and Commerce. I am aware of the contents of what the Deputy is raising but it is a matter for a separate question to be answered by the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
My question arose from the implication in the Taoiseach's earlier reply that perhaps those directives we had not implemented were not really necessary here. By way of my question I am simply pointing out that there is at least one that is urgently necessary.
I accept what the Deputy says in relation to the desirability and the urgency of the one he has mentioned, but those I referred to in my response were basically statistical ones coming forward from time to time. There have been some recently which we have complied with, but there are from time to time some directives the necessity of which one would question.
Will the Taoiseach assure the House that Ireland is not at risk being made amenable to any sanction at the suit of the EC for non-compliance with any particular directive?
I am not aware of such a situation arising. I will certainly keep a very close eye on it to ensure that that would not happen.
