Taoiseach vows to fight to bitter end on Super Levy

BRUSSELS and Dublin were on a collision course this week 35 years ago over EEC plans to impose a £150m ‘Super Levy’ bill on Irish dair y farmers for milk over-production.

“The Taoiseach (Dr Garret Fitzgerald) put Europe firmly on notice that Ireland will fight to the bitter end on the Super Levy,” repor ted the

Mr Fitzgerald indicated that he was prepared to use his veto to block the controversial plan af ter being told by EEC Commission President Gaston Thorn that Brussels was not prepared to change its mind.

“The (veto) decision would bring Ireland into open conflict with other European governments and would seriously threaten relationships out of which the Common Agricultural Policy — a major boost to Irish agriculture —was born.”

However, Dr Fitzgerald was not for turning on Irish opposition to the proposed fine.

“My country would need to be able to reser ve its right to defend itself against such a distor tion of Community policy operating to great, indeed crippling, disadvantage of one small and vulnerable state,” he said.

He added that the Super Levy proposal from Brussels as it stood was “grossly unacceptable.”