asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what steps he has taken or proposes to take to ensure that the work permit system in the Six Counties will not continue when Britain and this country join the EEC.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Work Permit System.
14.
The Deputy is presumably referring to the operation of the Safeguarding of Employment (Northern Ireland) Act, 1947. Britain has accepted in the negotiations with the EEC that this Act must be abolished in the enlarged Community. A transitional period of five years has been agreed with the Community for this purpose.
Has the Minister raised the matter of the mobility of Irish citizens?
There is a transitional period of five years.
Has the Minister raised the question of the mobility of Irish citizens into Britain? Surely we should have similar arrangements in regard to the north.
I do not think the Deputy realises that we are negotiating conditions which will apply in our own area of responsibility until full membership. We sought to have the free movement of workers regularly phased in in a transitional period of five years, during which time we will control the free movement of workers into our country in order to protect employment positions here for our own workers.
Has the Minister seen the reports that the work permit system will continue for an unspecified period after entry?
I have seen these. Once the transitional period is over there can be no expectation at all of the continuation of an embargo on the free movement of workers.
Would the Minister say if this five-year transitional period applies to the entire United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
I am not part of the British negotiations, but I gather from reports that the concession for the control of the movement of workers sought by Britain was for Northern Ireland on the basis of employment problems there. I am fully aware only of the fact that I sought a transitional period for the application of this regulation to our territory to protect our own workers and I gather that what the British negotiators did was to seek the same protection for the workers in the North of Ireland.
So the Minister is no longer implementing the 1937 Constitution. It is now a hot potato, is it not?
I think the Deputy is being silly.
If I am I am finding my fun in the 1937 Constitution.
I think there should be some limitation to the type of interjection and to the type of catching out in dealing with a serious situation.