asked the Taoiseach if the recent visit of the Minister for Industry and Commerce to Europe to officials of the EEC indicates an activation of Ireland's application to the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.
1.
The recent visit of the Minister for Industry and Commerce to Brussels was one of a series of Ministerial visits arranged at the meeting which the Tánaiste and I had with members of the Commission of the European Economic Community in Brussels on the 20th September last in accordance with our policy of periodic contacts between Ministers and the Commission.
The recent visit of the Minister for Industry and Commerce does not, therefore, suggest an individual application on behalf of this country? Our application is collective with that of the United Kingdom? That was stated by the Taoiseach the last time in a reply——
The recent visit of the Minister for Industry and Commerce was carried out in pursuance of exactly what I mentioned in my reply.
I appreciate the Taoiseach's reply. Would he, perhaps, answer my supplementary question? Is it an individual application or is it an application with that of the United Kingdom?
Our application is an individual application.
Therefore, I take it, it is active again at the moment and we are negotiating directly for entry to the Common Market?
I just told the Deputy what exactly the visit of the Minister for Industry and Commerce was comprised of and it was nothing else.
Might I inquire if the Minister for Industry and Commerce, in the course of his discussions, ventilated the issue mentioned by Monsieur Coppé when he delivered a lecture here in Dublin on the consequences of Ireland's entering the Common Market and its liability to participate in NATO in the event of its so doing?
That is clearly a——
The Minister confined himself purely to economic issues in his discussion with the Commission.
And our policy with regard to NATO remains as it was five years ago?
Yes.