That brings me to Item No. 2 on our agenda, which is the progress report on the work the sub-committees have been undertaking since we last met. As Members will see from their agenda, the different sub-committees have been devoting their attention to three main items. The first is that mentioned by Senator Robinson, that is, direct elections to the European Parliament. The second is mountain and hill farming and farming in less favoured areas. The third is a draft directive on equal treatment of men and women workers.
I should like to give the Committee a very brief report on what has been happening on the sub-committees on these three different matters. On the question of direct elections we have made very considerable progress. As will be recalled, we discussed it in a very general way here at a meeting of the Joint Committee on the 5th March last and we referred it to the general policy sub-committee. Since then that sub-committee has been considering it in depth. In its consideration, fortunately, it has had the help and assistance of Professor Basil Chubb of Trinity College, Dublin, who very kindly came along and participated very fully in our discussions. Of course, we also had assistance from the Department of Local Government. As a result of all those discussions at the sub-committee, we have prepared a draft report which endeavours to encompass the different views expressed on this very important and topical question. I am taking the liberty of showing that draft report to Professor Chubb and I propose circulating it to Members. It will be with the Members of the Joint Committee within the course of the next few days. When Members have had an opportunity of considering it, we will bring it before the full Joint Committee for final adoption.
The next matter of significance we were discussing in sub-committee was that with which we were dealing in the Agriculture Sub-Committee, that is, mountain and hill farming and farming under the less favoured areas scheme, or what is more commonly known as the disadvantaged areas scheme. Again, we have made considerable progress in our examination of that matter. We have discussed it at great length in the Sub-Committee on Agriculture. We have had the benefit of a very full and wide-ranging discussion with the Irish Farmers' Association who sent a deputation to us and who gave us a memorandum on the scheme. We are hoping to arrange a meeting with the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association. When we have that meeting we hope to prepare a report on this scheme though, to some extent, I must confess that events are overtaking us because the scheme has been settled and is coming into operation. However, I think our comments on the scheme will be of some assistance to both Houses.
