asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on his most recent meetings with the EEC Ministers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.
6.
As the statement is a lengthy one, I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
My final meetings with the Communities before the conclusion of the negotiations were concerned with the questions of fisheries, animal health and sugar production quotas.
The outcome of my negotiations at these meetings on fisheries is set out in the White Paper on the Accession of Ireland to the European Communities—paragraphs 33 and 34 of Chapter 5 and paragraphs 191-195 of the Appendix.
I reached agreement with the Communities on the following arrangements relating to animal health:
General Provisions:
(i) A derogation permitting us to continue to apply existing national rules in respect of imports of cattle and pigs (other animals are not covered by the Community directive) and meat.
(ii) A derogation from the obligation to vaccinate animals against foot and mouth disease before export.
(iii) Continuation of existing methods for declaring herds free from bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, export tests for these diseases to be carried out according to Community rules. These export test requirements will apply in our case only to exports to the six member States of the existing Community.
(iv) Extension of the existing Community derogation to allow all member States of the enlarged Community to import animals which do not come from brucellosis-free herds.
Ireland-U K Trade:
(i) Exemption of Irish bullocks from testing for brucellosis; our heifers to be tested according to Community tests.
(ii) Export of our cattle to continue on the basis of existing bovine tuberculosis arrangements.
(iii) Exemption from the obligation to separate slaughter cattle from store and breeding cattle.
(iv) Maintenance of existing trade arrangements between the Twenty-six and Six Counties.
These arrangements will be reviewed before the end of a period of five years when the animal health situation in the enlarged Community as a whole and in its different parts will be examined in the light of developments in the veterinary field. The decision in regard to the arrangements to apply after the initial five-year period will be taken by the Council of the enlarged Community.
Poultry Meat:
A delay of six months for the implementation of the EEC directive on poultry meat was agreed. The Community pointed out that, under this directive, we shall be able, on our accession to the EEC, to prohibit imports of poultry meat from areas where the disease has been occurring and the matter would then fall to be examined by the Community's standing veterinary committee.
At the ministerial meeting on 10th and 11th January the question of the sugar production quota for Ireland was discussed at length. The Community made a final offer of 150,000 tons as the basic sugar production quota for Ireland and this was subsequently accepted by the Government. This quota represents the quantity of sugar for which the Community will guarantee the full EEC price and does not limit the amount of sugar which we may produce. We are free if we choose to avail of a supplementary quota of 50,000 tons for which the Community will guarantee a lower level of price support. Production in excess of 200,000 tons will not attract Community support. The Government have decided that the supplementary quota will be availed of to the extent necessary to ensure that there will be no drop in sugar beet production and that current output and employment is maintained in the sugar factories.
7.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the State will be committed on a military basis on entry into EEC: and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There will be no military or defence commitments involved in Ireland's entry to the EEC.
Is the Minister aware that the question of our being involved militarily is uncertain and would he make a statement to the effect that we will not be committed militarily without a decision of Dáil Éireann?
I can hardly make a more specific commitment than I have issued now in my direct reply: there will be no military or defence commitments involved in Ireland's entry to the EEC.
Who said: "A Europe worth joining is a Europe worth defending"?
Arising further from the Minister's reply which is extremely incomplete, will he depart from the recorded statement of the Minister for Foreign Affairs that this country will be willing to enter into military commitments as a member of the EEC? Does that still represent Government policy?
The EEC's developments are matters for us to participate in, which we will do when the people make their appropriate decision on the matter.
Would the Minister agree that when the legislation before the House is passed, amended in accordance with Fine Gael amendments, it would not be possible for any commitment to be entered into involving either the raising of military forces or the declaration of war other than by Dáil Éireann without a further change in the Constitution?
Apart from the change in the Constitution, it certainly is a matter for sovereign decision by the Irish Parliament and the Irish Government in the event of any future hypothetical developments such as referred to by Deputy O'Brien. At the moment no such commitment is involved or foreseen.