Vol. 250 No. 4
asked the Minister for External Affairs if Ireland as an applicant country for membership is privy to the discussion about to take place in the EEC relative to the Werner plan which seeks to negotiate a monetary and economic union in the Community by 1980.
17.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a statement on Ireland's position relative to the suggested negotiation in the EEC on the Werner plan in which the first three year stage is scheduled to commence on 1st January, 1971, for the furtherance of an economic and monetary union to be finalised by 1980.
18.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will attend as an observer or otherwise at the discussions within the EEC on the Werner plan for an economic and monetary union, scheduled to commence in January, 1971.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 16,17 and 18 together.
The Council of the European Communities is at present discussing proposals made by the Commission in relation to the recommendations in the report of the Werner group on the realisation by stages of economic and monetary union in the Community. This is an internal Community matter and the question of this country being represented at the discussions in question does not, therefore, arise. We are, of course, following all available information with close interest. The guidelines to be adopted by the Community in this matter will be presented as Community positions in the negotiations with the applicant countries. In the circumstances, any statement on Ireland's position in relation to the proposals under consideration would be premature.
Am I to take it that we do not really know what is going on in the discussions and that we will not be made aware of anything until such time as we enter the Common Market, if we do so?
As I said, when the Community make a decision the guidelines which they adopt will be taken as their negotiated position in negotiations with the applicants. We will be aware of them in time to negotiate but until such time as we are aware of them it would be premature to state what our position is.
Would the Minister not agree that we should have an observer there, if that is allowed? Has he endeavoured to be present as an observer or otherwise?
It is not for applicant countries to decide that they can have an observer at meetings of the Community as it already exists. The position is that the Community as it exists now is studying the recommendations of the Commission on this report. When they have studied it they will adopt guidelines and then they will negotiate and make these guidelines known. It will be on the guidelines which they adopt that negotiations will take place. That will be the time for us to be aware of them.
Would the Minister not give us his own opinion on this matter? Is it not a fact that this is a typical EEC will-o'-the-wisp?
I think the Dáil would appreciate that in a negotiating situation you would not make a premature statement on your attitude to a position even if you were fully aware of all the points.
I am asking the Minister what is his opinion of the Werner proposition. He is asked that here in the question.
If the Deputy wants a private opinion he should ask the question privately.
Fair enough.
Maybe the Minister could get a private opinion from his party colleague who is over there. We do not know whether he is on official business but he seems to be giving the Members over there the impression that he is on official business.
The Deputy may not make a speech.
Send Deputy O'Connell over.
Order.
The Deputy will be aware since Members of his own party have visited Brussels that any Member of this Parliament is welcome. Deputies from the Fine Gael Party were there and any Member of Dáil Éireann will get every facility from the Commission and from my staff.
Did the Minister read the Press report?
That is democracy in action.
I did, and I do not see what is troubling the Deputy.
Question No. 19.
Before we leave this question, is the House to understand from what the Minister said that in relation to the Werner proposals the position is that decisions in principle may be taken which will subsequently be called guidelines. In other words, a stew may be cooked and we may be asked to eat it without having had any say as to the ingredients? Is that the position?
Some decisions taken between now and the time of the enlargement of the Community, if such is negotiated, will be taken without the applicant countries having a say in them but nobody can force an applicant country to accept something they do not want. These will be there as guidelines from the Community to be negotiated in the negotiations with the applicant countries.
Since this is a matter of tremendous significance to us and to other applicant countries, is it not possible for the Minister to ask in this regard, as has been asked in relation to other matters, that we should have at least observer status at the discussions?
At present it is an internal matter and regarded as such by the Community. Even from the point of view of information it has not been published. The Community will come to some agreement, I presume, and create guidelines on which they will then deal with the applicant countries.
That is what the Minister says.
That is the position. We are not a member of the Community.
Is the Minister aware that a meeting actually took place on 23rd November at which the Werner plan was discussed and has he any information on that which he can give the House?
As I said, we are following all the available information but I will not say what information we have. There was the Werner Report and the Commission made recommendations about it and now it is being studied by the Council of Ministers.
Question No. 19.
I have been trying to catch your eye, a Cheann Comhairle, for some time. May I ask the Minister, accepting of course that the admission of observers is not a question within our power to decide, whether consultations have occurred on this very important question between him and the representatives of the other applicant countries and, if so, with what result?
We had consultations with the other applicant countries for some time before and continuing since the applications were activated. I do not think I would like to answer the question fully.
Not on this.
I should not like to say anything in this House which would make it difficult for us to continue our negotiations in the way we want to carry them out.
Question No. 19.
We appreciate the point the Minister has made but perhaps he could tell us whether any consensus exists between the applicant countries on this very important matter?
The different applicants did seek to be consulted on any decisions being made by the Community in the interim between application and the conclusion of successful negotiations——
But not specifically on this?
——but this is a matter on which the Community have not themselves yet made up their minds. To be a party to these discussions we would have to be a member now. We will become party to the discussions about these proposals when the Community have a position of their own.
Question No. 19.
