asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware (a) that on and after the 1st May an ad valorem duty of 16? per cent. will be imposed on wrapping and packing paper imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland; (b) that prior to the introduction of his Budgets of 1925 and 1926 the Dublin paper manufacturers submitted a case to the Minister requesting protection for this industry, and pointing out in that which they submitted before this year's Budget was introduced that such a tariff would, as promised by the British Prime Minister, be imposed on imports of wrapping paper into Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and if he will state what steps, if any, it is proposed to take to protect the wrapping paper industry of the Saorstát from the disastrous effects which will accrue to this industry if such paper is allowed to continue to be imported free of duty, and whether the Minister, in refraining from according to this industry the protection which it deems necessary, consulted the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - PROTECTION FOR WRAPPING AND PACKING PAPER.
The reply to the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. The Saorstát paper manufacturers applied last year for the imposition of a 25 per cent. ad valorem tariff on all imported manufactured paper, and the application was renewed this year in respect of wrapping and packing paper. These applications were closely examined by the Department of Industry and Commerce, and several meetings of the Advisory Committees in this and other industries affected were held. They were then considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee appointed in connection with the 1926-27 Finance Bill, but it was felt that the proposal could not be accepted for the reason that in the present circumstances a tariff on imported wrapping paper would increase the cost to the user and would affect adversely all business people.
Nothing can be done in the way of protecting the industry unless and until the question has been considered by the Tariff Commission to be established in accordance with the undertaking given in my Budget statement.