National Archives - Fears of crisis in aftermath of EEC membership

Documents suggest the Government considered import controls, writes Caroline O’Doherty.

SENIOR officials held a crisis meeting in the absence of their ministers in the belief that the Government was about to blunder into an illegal and devastating trade war with Ireland's European Economic Community (EEC) neighbours.

The meeting held to conjure up "the most plausible legal appearance" for such a move took place on June 20, 1975, six days before Finance Minister Richie Ryan was due to present measures to the Dáil to try to address the worsening economic crisis.