asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's present attitude to the possibility of Greek accession to the European Economic Community, and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding the need for the Greek Government to recognise Article 25 of the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure that all men are equal before the law within the European Community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Greek Membership of EEC.
7.
Deputies will be aware that the Government have consistently supported the application of Greece for membership of the European Community. The present situation is that the instruments of accession have been signed and that, following ratification by the existing member states, Greece will become the tenth member state on 1 January 1981. The Greek Parliament has already ratified the instruments of accession. Ratification by Ireland will involve the amendment of the European Communities Act, 1972 and the passing by Dáil Éireann of a motion approving the terms of accession. Deputies will have a full opportunity for debate when these matters come before the House. I hope that this will be in the near future.
As regards the second part of the question, the position is that the treaties governing the European Communities contain no reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, and indeed not all of the founding member states of the European Communities have accepted the right of individual petition under Article 25 of that Convention. It these circumstances, recognition by Greece of Article 25 does not arise in the context of accession.
Will the Bill that was circulated earlier this month be taken before Christmas?
I hope so. It is the intention of the senior Minister in the Department to have this matter disposed of before Christmas.
Does the Minister not consider that the accession of Greece provides some opportunity to raise with that country the fact that they have not recognised the European convention and that this would be a chance to put to them that they should accept the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights?
This would really be a matter for the Greek Government. In the circumstances, it would be improper of me to make any comment on their acceptance or otherwise of any article of the Convention. For the information of the House, in common with the Nine, Greece accepts Article 46 of the Convention which means that they accept the jurisdiction of the Court of Human Rights. In relation to the first part of the Deputy's question, it would not be proper for me to make any comment.
In view of the fact that the House will probably recess in three weeks and not resume until the beginning of February, would it be possible to have the Bill introduced and completed before the recess?
That is not an unreasonable request. I will do everything to ensure that that situation is brought about?
8.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the entry of Greece into the EC will reduce the level of aid to Ireland from the various EC funds.
As Deputies will be aware, Ireland proposed and had accepted by the Council of the European Communities at the opening of the Greek negotiations in July 1976, a Council statement to the effect that on Greek accession, subject to the usual budgetary procedures, appropriate provision would be made for the needs of the enlarged Community. The entry of Greece should not, therefore, result in any reduction in the level of aid which Ireland receives from the various EEC funds. Deputies will, however, have a fuller opportunity to discuss and debate the terms of the Act of Accession of Greece to the European Communities when I introduce measures to ratify the Act of Accession. I hope to do this in the near future.
Does not the statement of the Council ring somewhat hollow in the light of the present financial crisis in the EEC? Bearing that in mind would the Minister not accept that whatever welcome we give to the Greek accession inevitably it will have an effect on the funding that will be available from the point of view of the Farm Fund, the Regional Fund and the Social Fund?
The Deputy is effectively asking will the accession of Greece affect the benefits which Ireland will derive from the CAP and the regional fund. The Deputy will appreciate that Greek agriculture will not be in direct competition with our agricultural produce as most of Greece's agricultural exports are Mediterranean products. Therefore, in all the circumstances, there is no conflict. It is my view—and I believe that of this and the previous Government—that we should positively welcome Greek membership of the Common Market as a very important additional influence in stabilising the peace of Europe.
The Minister will be aware that, as a precondition of our acceptance of the Greek application, we secured the agreement of the members of the Council that the resources of the Community would be increased pro rata with the needs of Greek and other additional membership. I take it that we are ensuring that that will be fulfilled and implemented in full and to the letter in 1981. Is it not the case that this will bring nearer the point, or cause to arise earlier, the issue of the 1 per cent limit on VAT? Is that not now made even more crucial by Greek membership?
The Deputy is referring to our own resources in all the circumstances. Indeed I am grateful to the Leader of the Opposition for his intervention, because effectively he has crystallised the matter and answered his own question.
Is there any acceptance within the Government that even if Greek accession resulted in some minor diminution of access on the part of Ireland to the regional fund and indeed to the social fund nevertheless we should still press ahead with our total support for Greek accession, even if we are affected to a relative degree by such an accession, and that we should have to do this?
The first part of the Deputy's question is rather speculative, and I am not fobbing the Deputy off or anything like that. I agree entirely with what he said in the second part of his supplementary question.
9.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the cost of the translation and publication in Irish of the Report of the Accession of the Hellenic Republic to the European Community, and the number of copies of the Irish edition published.
As the translation into and publication in Irish of this volume which is entitled Documents concerning the Accession of the Hellenic Republic to the European Communities has been undertaken by the General Secretariat of the Council of the Communities, no direct cost to Ireland is involved. The General Secretariat has indicated that it would not be possible to indicate these costs as they are part of normal running costs. In all, 350 copies of the Irish edition have been printed.
The Deputy will be aware that during our accession negotiations it was agreed that basic documents should be published in Irish. As Irish versions of the basic Treaties were prepared, it is appropriate that the Treay of Accession of the Hellenic Republic to the European Communitues, being an amendment to these Treaties, should be published in Irish.