asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will give an assurance that on his proposed visit to Paris on March 14th next to attend the Committee on European Economic Co-operation he will not discuss thereat any political—other than economic— matter, until (a) the partition of the country will have been solved to the complete satisfaction of the people of Ireland; (b) opportunities for freedom of speech will have been conceded to the inhabitants in the territory of Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister's Visit to Paris.
Perhaps I might take this opportunity to make a short statement, for the information of the Dáil, on the purpose and scope of the conference in Paris which I am about to attend.
The body which will meet in Paris is the Committee on European Economic Co-operation which met in Paris last summer and drew up a programme for European economic recovery in response to the suggestion contained in the speech made by the United States Secretary of State at Harvard on the 5th of June. Copies of the report drawn up by the committee at its session last summer are available in the Library of the House.
The official agenda of the forthcoming meeting is confined to matters arising out of that report. The committee will first consider a report by the secretary general of the committee on developments in economic co-operation between the participating countries since its last meeting. In the second place, the committee will consider the results of the examination by its technical commissions of the reports issued by the American administration within the last few months on the quantities of various classes of commodities likely to be available under the European Recovery Programme if the legislation now before Congress is enacted. Finally—and perhaps I might describe this as the principal item on the agenda —the forthcoming meeting will be called upon to set up a working party, consisting of representatives of each of the 16 participating countries, which will have two specific tasks—firstly, to frame the constitution of the joint organisation of the participating countries which is to be set up as soon as the European Recovery Programme comes into force, and, secondly, to prepare the text of a multilateral agreement on economic co-operation to be concluded between the participating countries when that stage is reached.
The setting up of the proposed joint organisation was specifically provided for in the report which the committee made at its session last summer. Paragraph 113 of that report stated that, if means for carrying out the programme contemplated in the report were made available, a joint organisation to review progress achieved in the execution of the programme would be necessary. In the same paragraph, the participating countries declared themselves ready, in that event, to set up such an organisation by mutual agreement.
The proposed multilateral agreement is also foreshadowed in the same report. In paragraph 32, the 16 participating Governments pledged themselves to join together, and to invite other European countries to join with them, to ensure that the recovery programme contemplated in the report was carried out. In execution of this pledge, each of the participating countries undertook to use all its efforts to develop its production, to make the best use of its existing productive capacity, to work for financial and economic stability, to co-operate with one another with a view to the expansion of trade, and so on. The proposed multilateral agreement will cover this same ground and, in addition, will incorporate the arrangements for the setting up of the joint organisation to which I have referred.
It will be seen, accordingly, that the matters to be discussed at the resumed meeting of the C.E.E.C. on March 14th appertain primarily to the economic sphere.
In so far as the Deputy's question is intended to elicit the Government's attitude to the partition of our country, I should like to add that the Government regards the continuance of Partition as the most serious obstacle to the political and economic welfare of our people. Indeed, the Government, with whose full authority I speak on this matter, finds it difficult to contemplate with enthusiasm any plan for economic recovery and development which does not envisage Ireland as one economic entity. At a time when it is so essential that there should be complete economic co-operation among the nations of Western Europe, the Government's most earnest desire is to secure the removal of this artificial and unnatural barrier which forms an obstacle to the integration of the economy of our island.
Apart from economic measures to develop the productive capacity of Western Europe, it is essential to rally the people behind an ideal based upon a recognition of Christian principles and the right of the individual to his personal freedom in accordance with the natural law. Such a concept must necessarily involve strict adherence to well-recognised elementary democratic rights; among these is, of course, the right of free speech.
The continuance of a state of affairs wherein fundamental political and personal rights are denied to a section of our people renders it difficult to give reality to such an ideal. In this situation, the Government earnestly hopes that the British Government will realise this and will co-operate in securing the due recognition of that ideal, and will facilitate complete economic co-operation in this island.
Will the Minister give an undertaking that he will not discuss at the Paris Conference the matters which are referred to in my question?
I take it from the Minister's reply that he is precluded from raising the question of the partition of this country at the Paris Conference.
The coming conference is primarily concerned with economic matters, purely and simply. I have indicated in my answer to the question put what the attitude of the Government is in relation to Partition and its bearing on the economic position.
That is not what my supplementary question was. I want to know if the Minister is precluded from raising the question of the partition of this country at the coming conference.
May I ask if the Minister will give the House the assurance which I have asked for?
It is necessarily implicit in any question of importance that may arise in the relationship of this country with Great Britain that the question of Partition will be considered and discussed.