BLANEY because as you clearly pointed out, you were not even aware of the banks involved.

Commission affair

Commission statement on the Goodman affair

282 Commission statement on the Goodman affair, p.

I believe that the President of the Commission should address himself to this general question so that we will know the framework within which we will operate in the Community in the future.

I believe you. There is no question about that, but it is important to clarify that particular aspect because it seems to be at the root of the kind of innuendo and publicity that has been circulat ing.

I had no involvement whatsoever in any allocation of funds personally to Mr Goodman.

I made it abundantly clear in my initial remarks that the only criteria and my only concern is the responsibility I am charged with, and that is the management of the agricultural markets and, in this instance, the management of the beef market.

At that time it seemed likely that difficulties in Goodman International would compound an already problematic situation for the Community's beef industry.

Rowles also worked with Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey, and Tony Bennett, and as a studio musician.

It would be presumptuous of me, anyway, to think that my initiatives would be instrumental in keeping this firm in business. I doubt it.

PRESIDENT. The next item is the statement on the Goodman affair.

PRESIDENT. I have received from the Socialist Group a request to have a debate on the statement.

Mr Braks, Mr President, was one of several people, including representatives of governments and other organizations to whom I spoke throughout August about the developing situation in the beef industry.

Apart from the normal system, special arrangements known as the safety net system, applied in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Second, has the Commission intervened previously for any reason on behalf of Goodman International or in such a way that the result was specifically beneficial to Goodman International?

At the time I gave clear indications of this, especially by way of public statements.

For the record Mr Braks says 'Com missioner MacSharry asked me to intercede with the Dutch AMRO Bank to avert the likely bankruptcy of the Goodman firm.'

Engagements with Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman followed, and recordings with artists such as Lester Young, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery, in addition to being for a time, 'house pianist' on the Savoy label.

When he talked to his colleague, Mr Braks, was he aware at that time of the steps that were going to be taken by the Irish government and parliament to keep Goodman in business ?

Alan Arkin and John Goodman play their roles as the Hollywood assistants with great charm their characters deserve more room, and are not by far the only ones in this film.

Indeed I agree with my colleague, Mr Paisley.

I had no hesitation, and I have no doubt the farmers in my area had no hesitation either, in supporting the Commissioner in ensuring that Goodman kept trading.

We were not trying to look after Mr Goodman, it is his operation that we were trying to preserve.

It was made clear and explicit what class of new legislation would be introduced on the basis of an examination process it was perfectly feasible under Irish company law for any bank, including the bank referred to in this House, to initiate legislative action to do whatever it wished for the protection of its own funds, but no bank chose to do so.

I made no request to Mr Braks to intervene vis à vis any particular bank in favour of Goodman International.

If it was treachery to clean up the Irish beef industry, to make it profitable, to make it viable, to get a decent price for Irish farmers without fraud, without irregularities, without cowboys indulging in milking off export beef refunds, as has been clearly inidicated by Mr Tomlinson, then we, the Socialists, perform a basic act of political hygiene in bringing it into Parliament and we have no apology to offer in that regard.

I therefore ask the Commissioner and I had no intention of intervening in this debate but Mr Killilea has forced me to defend my honour in relation to this matter and I have no apology to offer for asking the Commissioner

These were designed to restore confidence in the market. In the case of The Netherlands I felt it prudent that the Minister for Agriculture should also be aware of developments in the industry and of the likely impact of the supports available.

In the case of mouse lemurs, the gray mouse lemur ( M. murinus ), golden brown mouse lemur ( M. ravelobensis ), and Goodman's mouse lemur ( M. lehilahytsara ) were considered the same species until recently, when genetic tests identified them as cryptic species.

BLANEY (ARC). ... I now wish to withdraw my earlier request for a debate on this issue.

If that is what has led to Mr Tomlinson's questions it is very easy to answer them, because taking the first question he asked specifically about the Goodman intervention, I have absolutely no difficulty in replying to it.

It is not my responsibility and therefore I have no comment to make.

Cast your minds back to just a few weeks ago when we had quantities of meat products being violently destroyed in Member States of this Com munity because of accusations of oversupply from particular countries. We had to take care of that problem and resolve it at the same time.

In this letter the Commission is asked to make a statement on representations the Commissioner, Ray MacSharry, is alleged to have made to the former Minister for Agriculture in The Netherlands, on behalf of Goodman International, following, and I quote from the letter, 'the bankruptcy of that enterprise.'

Turning now, Mr President, to my contact with Mr Braks, the former Netherlands Minister for Agriculture.

However, given the important role that Goodman International played in exports to third country markets, there is no doubt whatsoever that over the last 15 years his organization would have been in receipt of export refunds for the export of Community beef, under Community law, approved by the Commission, the Council and this House.