asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state the results of the recent Paris Conference on the Marshall Plan proposals as far as they affect this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marshall Plan Proposals.
The Conference of European Economic Co-operation held in Paris has resulted in a report signed by the representatives of all the participating countries, including Ireland. The text of the general report is already available to Deputies in the Library, and copies of the technical committees' reports, which will soon be published, will be placed there also. The ultimate results of the conference will depend on the action taken by the United States on the report.
Will copies of the text of the report be circulated to Deputies immediately?
I shall have to consider the question of expense in that regard. I am told that each of the copies of the technical committees' reports may cost as much as 10/- or 15/-. I shall have to see whether or not it will be necessary to circulate them to Deputies. A certain number of copies will be available and, so far as the general report is concerned, we could have copies made available to those who would ask for them.
Will the Minister say if copies could be circulated immediately to heads of Parties or anybody else who might ask for them?
I think that copies of the general report are available and we shall see if that can be done.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state whether estimates have been laid before the Paris Conference on the Marshall Plan proposals of the requirements of this country for the next four years: (1) to increase food and other production, and (ii) to supplement home production of foods for human consumption; if so, if he will publish particulars of the estimates so made; and if he will state the nature of the consultations or conferences at which such estimates were made.
In reply to questionnaires received from the Paris Conference, details of this country's estimated requirements and production targets were prepared at very short notice by the Departments concerned and furnished to the conference. These details are too extensive to be given in answer to a Parliamentary Question, but they will be available to Deputies in the technical committees' reports, copies of which, as I have already stated, will be placed in the Library.
What was the nature of the consultations or conferences which took place with any sections of the Irish community before these estimates were prepared?
They had to be prepared within a period of two or three days and they were prepared mainly from information already available to the Departments.
Will the Minister arrange for the circulation of the technical committees' reports as well as the general report?
I have already indicated, in reply to Deputy Mulcahy, that the reports of the technical committees may be very expensive. Some copies will be placed in the Library and we might be able to arrange to supply copies to heads of Parties or others who make special application for them.
The Taoiseach will endeavour to have that done?
Yes.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state whether production targets for this country for the next four years have been estimated and laid before the Paris Conference on the Marshall Plan proposals; if so, if he will publish particulars of the matters so placed before the conference; and if he will state the nature of the consultations or conferences at which these estimates were arrived at.
I refer the Deputy to the answers to the preceding questions.
Would the Taoiseach be good enough to say if he is correctly reported as saying that our contribution to the European resources should be to increase the quantity of beet sugar produced here? If so, is he aware that sugar is one of the few foodstuffs in the world in respect of which there is foreseeable an absolute surplus within the next 12 months?
I am not reported correctly. I have not spoken on that matter.
I am glad to hear that.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state the contribution required from this country under the Marshall Plan for Europe.
It is not quite clear what the Deputy means by the contribution required from this country. Our contribution will be the efforts we make in reaching the targets of production indicated in our replies to the questionnaires received from the conference.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been directed to statements concerning the targets set for each country participating in the European self-help programme which has been submitted to the United States Government; and whether he will indicate the nature of the target set for this country, and the measures which will be required to ensure its fulfilment.
I refer the Deputy to my replies to Deputy Ua Maolchatha's questions Nos. 2 and 3.