asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline Ireland's present position in relation to the Madrid conference on security and co-operation in Europe; the number of Irish personnel directly engaged in the preparations for the conference; the number of personnel attending; the identity of the head of the Irish delegation; and if he will be attending the conference.

: As the Deputy will be aware, the second meeting to review the Final Act is scheduled to open on 11 November in Madrid. In the present uncertain international climate this meeting assumes a particular importance. A successful outcome to the meeting would make a significant contribution to an improvement in East-West relations. In our view this end can best be served by a full and thorough review of implementation of the Helsinki Final Act at Madrid and by agreement on further measures which would facilitate the implementation and development of existing provisions.

Preparatory work for the meeting has been under way in my Department and among the Nine for some time. Eight officers at headquarters have been occupied, among other duties, with various aspects of this work. Officers attached to certain missions abroad have also been involved in these preparations. As to the staffing of the delegation at Madrid four officers are at present inscribed on the delegation list of the preparatory meeting and six officers will participate in the main meeting. This includes officers from Dublin and from the Embassy at Madrid. The question of the level of heads of delegations at the main Madrid meeting is still under consideration. The question of Ministerial attendance is likely to be discussed at the preparatory meeting currently taking place in Madrid. As I have already said in reply to a supplementary I propose to attend the main meeting.

: Could the Minister outline to us the difficulties which apparently have surfaced in regard to the preparatory meeting and what does he envisage will be the solution to those difficulties?

: There are procedural difficulties. The main aspect which involves certain very serious differences of opinion revolves around the question of whether to take a full and thorough review of the implementation issue first before considering new measures. Some take the view that one should go through the implementation aspects fully before taking new measures while other countries take the view that the two can be taken side by side. That is briefly the main matter that has been occupying a considerable amount of time.

: And the Soviets are obstructing any progress at the moment?

: Yes—well, I do not like making what I may call value judgments on the matter at this stage. In fact I was very keen at last week's meeting of the Council of European Ministers to make that point, that the less polemics we had and the less categorisation of nations or groups of nations in this very serious matter the better.