Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 25 Apr 1924

Vol. 7 No. 1

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS. - RESOLUTION No. 12.

Mr. BLYTHE

I move:

Every customs entry form required by law to be furnished by an importer, or the agent of an importer, of goods into Saorstát Eireann on or after the 15th day of July, 1924, shall bear an adhesive stamp of a value equal to the amount of sixpence in respect of each consignment, parcel, or package of goods mentioned in the entry form, such stamp to be affixed to the entry form by the importers or his agent before the same is furnished to the customs officer.

This is for the purpose of reducing the great import trade that goes on in very small consignments. As I said earlier in the day, the Customs people in this country have to deal with almost as many consignments as I think the Customs authorities of the late United Kingdom had to deal with. The individual consignments were very small; but the number of actual transactions to be dealt with was out of all proportion to the value of the total volume of the trade of this country so far as mere recording of the statistics is concerned. The estimates that were made, having regard to the volume of the trade, were exceeded by about £12,000 per annum, when it came to a question of providing a staff.

I think undoubtedly, as I said earlier, when we have a separate Customs entity, it follows as a corollary that retail trade across the Customs frontier is an inconvenient trade from very many points of view.

Major COOPER

I have now worked for twelve hours to-day. I began by attending a Committee of this Dáil at 10.15 a.m. I want to ask a question about the machinery of this Resolution because it will be necessary in order that we might frame amendments. The stamp which is to be affixed on each parcel has to be affixed by the person who makes out the entry form. If I am right, the person who makes out the entry form is not resident in the Saorstát. He is a shopkeeper or householder in England or Northern Ireland. How is he going to get a Saorstát stamp? Is the Minister prepared to accept a British stamp and give the British this revenue? If not, what is to be done? It is all very well for a man in Belfast who has a big wholesale business. He can send to his agent here and get Saorstát sixpenny stamps. That is not very difficult. But take my position. My children occasionally visit relations in England. They invariably leave something behind them. How is my mother or my sister, living in the country in England, to obtain a sixpenny Saorstát stamp? It is absolutely impossible. Therefore, I hope the Minister will give some consideration to the scheme. I do not like this scheme at all; I would sooner not see it introduced, because I believe he is going violently to disturb the natural currents of trade, the currents of trade that have existed for many years. Assuming it is necessary, and I am not going to argue about it at this hour of the night, would the Minister be prepared to consider an amendment to affixing the stamp by changing it to payment on delivery, because that is even a much more practicable scheme. The Post Office has already adopted a scheme of payment on delivery. When I get cigarettes sent from England out of bond, I invariably pay duty on delivery. Could not the same thing apply to parcels sent by post? It will cost much less than the scheme laid down in the Resolution, which is really impracticable. What will happen in case the parcel does not bear the sixpenny stamp? Has it to be returned to the sender? If so that would involve an amount of office work.

Mr. BLYTHE

I think there is a certain amount of confusion. This will not apply to Post Office parcels.

Major COOPER

That is very important.

Mr. BLYTHE

Probably something will have to be done in regard to Post Office parcels, to prevent an undue extension of the parcels post trade from outside the Saorstát.

Mr. HEFFERNAN

Will the Minister give us an indication of what will have to be done. Will it mean the imposition of a similar tax?

Mr. BLYTHE

I think it would mean something of a similar kind. Anything that can be done will be countered by a reduction of the rates on postal parcels at home.

Mr. HEFFERNAN

Does not this mean another bolstering up of inefficiency and the obstruction of all possible trade by post in small parcels from English shops? I know that there is a very large trade carried on at present with the English stores. In my opinion it is not a very advisable thing or a very good thing from the point of view of the country, but I think the remedy does not lie in this system of imposing an obstructive tax. The remedy lies with the traders or shopkeepers who stock goods required by the Irish people, by advertising the goods and giving the people an opportunity of buying them in Ireland, and not to seek for a special tariff to enable them to sell the goods at higher prices.

Major COOPER

The words of the Resolution are, "Each consignment, parcel or package of goods." Will the Minister consider an amendment that this shall not apply to postal parcels, and will he be prepared to accept that amendment on Report?

Mr. BLYTHE

Every Customs entry form it applies to.

Major COOPER

It does not differentiate between the form you have to fill up for a parcel.

Mr. BLYTHE

That is not a Customs form.

Question put and agreed to.

Major MYLES

May I ask the Minister how it is possible to make it work? It may work in time as regards England, but how is it going to work in connection with the importing of goods from America or Sweden——

AN LEAS-CHEANN COMHAIRLE

I am afraid Deputy Myles is rather late. He can raise this matter again on the Report Stage.

Mr. BLYTHE

There is no difficulty, anyhow.