asked the Minister for External Affairs whether, following a reply of 1st July, 1964, he is now in a position to indicate the attitude of the Government in regard to Opinion No. 41 on the Budget of the Council of Europe for 1965; and, if he will instruct his deputy to vote in favour of the requests contained in the Opinion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Council of Europe Budget.
12.
Following examination by the Budget Committee of Opinion No. 41 of the Consultative Assembly, the Ministers' Deputies including the Irish representative at their meeting last week approved, with certain minor amendments, the proposals concerning the operational expenditure of the Consultative Assembly for 1965 which form the main part of this Opinion.
Other sections of the Opinion relate to a proposed increase in staff in the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly; the Assembly's Resolution 188 on the use of languages other than the two official languages of the Council of Europe and the introduction of a pensions scheme for the Secretariat Staff. It is not possible at present to indicate what the attitude of the Government to these questions will be pending the receipt from the Secretariat of all the necessary data required by the Ministers' Deputies and the Budget Committee.
The remaining item referred to in Opinion No. 41 relates to a programme of teaching and research in the field of human rights and the Assembly has already been informed that there was not a sufficient majority in the Committee of Ministers, at the present stage, for the implementation of its proposals. While favouring the programme generally, the Government are not satisfied about the desirability of establishing a Centre for Human Rights which forms part of the proposals.