asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the difficulties that are being placed in the way of residents in Tirconaill who desire to import goods through Dublin by reason of the fact that the Great Northern Railway line has to pass through the Six Counties; if, in particular, his attention has been drawn to a letter dated the 14th January, 1924, addressed to the Customs Officer at Lifford by the Mills-Fulford Limited, Coventry, in which they complain that a spring, consigned by them six months before to the Motor Company, Raphoe, and on which duty had been paid on its entry into the Saorstát at North Wall, had been again held up at Lifford for the same duty, the article in question having only left the Saorstát during its passage from Dublin to Lifford; if the spring has since been delivered at the proper address; and if the Minister will take steps to have goods consigned by rail from Dublin direct to places in Donegal freed from delays and restrictions of this sort, as otherwise the tendency will be to import direct through Derry or Belfast instead of via Dublin.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - NORTHERN CUSTOMS DIFFICULTY.
Full consideration has been given to the difficulties which may arse in the passage of duty-paid goods from one part of Saorstát territory to another through Northern Ireland and to prevent delay and restrictions in regard to such goods consigned, for example, from Dublin to places in Tirconaill through Northern Ireland, the Revenue Commissioners have approved special arrangements, of which full particulars may be obtained from the Commissioners or from any officer of Customs and Excise.
In the particular instance quoted by the Deputy the consignors did not take advantage of the arrangements referred to and the consignee did not seek release of the goods on the ground that duty was paid at Dublin. The Revenue Commissioners are now satisfied that duty was paid and they have ordered the release of the goods.