asked the Minister for Lands the number and dates of meetings which took place between him or officials of his Department and the EEC on the draft directives on the modernisation of farms and retirement pensions prior to the final decision taken upon them at the end of March, 1972; if the matter was raised at the interim committee under the agreed consultation procedure; if he will indicate the proposals put forward by Ireland during these consultations; if he is satisfied in every respect with the directives as finally agreed; and, if not, if he will indicate in which respects the directives are unsatisfactory.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.
42.
As the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in his reply, is dealing with the directive on the modernisation of farms I confine my reply to the directive on the encouragement to leave farming. Officials of my Department together with officials from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Irish Mission met representatives of the EEC Commission on 9th and 10th February last with a view to discussing certain items in the draft directives. Two problems were raised with the Council:
(1) The draft directive provides that the bonus authorised thereunder be calculated on the basis of the lease value of the land. Since longterm leasing is virtually non-existent in Ireland, it was proposed that the draft directive should also provide for calculation of the bonus by reference to the purchase money of the land.
(2) The draft directive provides for payment of a pension (called in the directive an indemnity) to eligible farmers between the ages of 55 and 65. As the old age pension does not come into operation in Ireland until the age of 70, eligible farmers would have no assured income in the intervening five years.
The provision regarding the bonus in the final text of the directive fits our requirements. Consultations were held on the other question on the 28th-29th March and in the result the Council decided that contacts should be established between the Commission and the four applicant countries to examine the technicalities of the operation of the directive in each of the applicant countries. We await proposals of the Commission in this matter.
May I thank the Minister for his reply, which is in stark contrast to the work which the Minister for Foreign Affairs was prepared to put into his reply? Can the Minister state when he will be prepared to make available to Members of the House a copy of the directives so that they can assess the information which he has given in his reply?
I understand that the much maligned Minister for Foregin Affairs has already arranged to have copies of the Journal placed in the Library.
May I draw the attention of the Minister to the fact that the directives in question are published in the Journal in French and that most Members of the House have not got a facility in French, nor is there a translation service in the Library? It would be helpful if he would make an English translation of this directive available.
My Department will give the necessary translation.
In English?
In English.
Great. Excellent.
In the meantime, dans la Libraire.
An mbeidh sé as Gaeilge.
Níl a fhios agam. Is dóca. Níl sé riachtanach go mbeidh sé.