JOINT COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN AFFAIRS debate -
Wednesday, 25 Feb 1998

Business of Joint Committee.

Chairman

The minutes of the meeting of 11 February 1998 are proposed by Pat Carey and seconded by Deputy Gregory. The minutes of the meeting of 4 February 1989 are proposed by Deputy Gregory and seconded by Deputy Haughey. Are there any matters arising from the minutes of those two meetings that members wish to raise?

We have a letter from Lord Tordoff, House of Lords in respect of COSAC and the Troika meeting. We have correspondence from Senator Donie Cassidy on the timing of these meetings. Our meeting at 2 o'clock is to facilitate Senators on the Order of Business. We also have correspondence from Deputy Tony Gregory and Senator Brendan Ryan on the work programme as rapporteurs for the drugs report which we propose to produce. Are there any comments or queries?

Deputy Gregory

In relation to our preliminary work programme on the drugs issue, as it is not clear at the moment what assistance rapporteurs are going to get, can we take it the Secretariat will help us in contacting the national parliaments of other European states?

Chairman

Yes. A delegation representing this committee met the British Ambassador this afternoon at her request. A very frank and cordial exchange of views took place. The delegation relayed to the Ambassador the feelings expressed at previous meetings of this committee on the blockade of Irish goods at various points in the UK and the consequent potential damage to the free market. The Ambassador expressed her dissatisfaction with the manner in which the blockade took place. As chairman I was very impressed with the submissions made by the individual members. The Ambassador has undertaken to relay the views of the delegation to her Government and will contact us in due course.

The second item on the agenda relates to ICTU. Mr. Peter Cassells is the General Secretary and Ms Patricia Donovan is Deputy General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The third item on the agenda relates to continuing the policy — notwithstanding the non availability of back-up for rapporteurs — of proceeding towards the production of the reports on EMU, drugs and the Amsterdam Treaty. The discussions at this committee meeting will be used as a basis for the reports subsequently.