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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 14 Apr 1948

Vol. 110 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Application for United Nations Organisation Membership.

Mr. Byrne

asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state the position in regard to the application of this State for membership of the United Nations Organisation and what exactly the Government will be committed to, if the application for membership is accepted.

The decision to apply for membership of the United Nations Organisation was taken by this House on the 25th July, 1946; this decision was unanimous. This application is at present awaiting reconsideration by the Security Council in accordance with the terms of a resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on the 17th November last. This resolution determined that, in the judgment of the assembly, Ireland possesses the qualifications for membership laid down by Article 4 of the United Nations Charter and should, therefore, be admitted to membership; it further requested the Security Council to reconsider Ireland's application in the light of that determination.

On the same date the assembly adopted a further resolution requesting the International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion as to whether a member of the United Nations is entitled to make its consent to the admission of an applicant State dependent on conditions not laid down in the charter. I understand that the court hearings in connection with this matter are about to begin.

As regards the second part of the question, the Deputy is, of course, aware that membership of the organisation involves acceptance of the obligations contained in the charter of the United Nations. Copies of the charter were circulated to all Deputies in November, 1945. The most far-reaching of these obligations are those obliging members to carry out the decisions of the Security Council with respect to threats to, or breaches of, the international peace which have not been settled by peaceful methods. It is important to note, however, that such decisions require the concurrence of all the permanent members of the Security Council, namely, the United States, Great Britain, Russia, France and China. In this connection, I should point out that lack of unanimity amongst the permanent members has, so far, prevented the implementation of Article 43 of the charter, that is, the article requiring each member to conclude an agreement with the council specifying the armed forces and other facilities to be made available to the council for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.

Mr. Byrne

If Communist Russia and her allies declare war on anti-Communist Spain, will Éire soldiers have to fight and take sides, and, if so, on what side will we be?

The time is not opportune for that.

There is no obligation, by virtue of Ireland's application for membership of the United Nations Organisation, to take any sides in that eventuality. The question of what Ireland's attitude would be in the event of a war would be a matter for this House to decide.

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