Ambassador puts record straight

Press, 29 August 1980, Page 13

Ambassador puts record straight

Angered by “untrue” statements about New Zealand, the Ambassador to Ireland (Mr L. W. Gandar) has. taken the.unusual diplomatic step of complaining in print about one of Ireland’s leading farming columnists. The “Irish Times” Michael Dillon, a former agricultural Writer of the Year, is taken to task on practically every fact he produced to support his claim that the E.E.C. Com- ' mission was “showing •. more concern for New Zealand than for Ireland.” Dillon, who is also a farmer, had cited two exam- . pies from the butter and lamb trade to back up his argument. But the examples were not quite right, said Ambassador Gandar. “Mr Dillon's thesis is of course untrue; so are both of the specific claims he makes in , support of it,” said his letter. Piling fact

on fact, he repudiates the columnist’s opinions, originally offered in an article on August 2. The ambassador’s criticisms are contained in a letter to the “Irish Times,” a quality paper whose 80,000-plus circulation in-

cludes politicians, senior executives and, of course, the heads 7of farming organisations.

Most Irish agricultural writers tend to reflect the point of view of the Irish Farmers’ Association, and Ambassador Gandar’s let-

ter is the first time in years that the New Zealand side has been presented. In part, the letter reads: “If New Zealand is finally able to sell alb it expects to export in 1980—95,000 tonnes in an expected, total market of around 340,000

From Seiwyn Parser in Diibliii

tonnes —it will have achieved a market share of 28 per cent this year. Hardly a ‘bigger share. than ever before (as Dillon had claimed)’, and a far cry from traditional sendings of more than 170,000 tonnes annually.

“Mr Dillon goes on to assert that a Common Market organisation for sheepmeat which would benefit

Irish fanners ‘is being blocked until Australia and New Zealand are satisfied.’ It is fair to ask, who. is, doing the blocking?”

The letter points out that, although New Zealand had reached substantial agreement with the E.E.C. Commission last month, France had refused to accept the proposal and Ireland was also reluctant to agree.