asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if he will state (a) whether all imports of artificial manures, including basic slag, are subject to analysis on port of arrival by the Department of Lands and Agriculture; or if production of analysis of foreign origin is sufficient to permit free importation of such manures for sale to the farming communities in An Saorstát; and (b) whether it is possible for manures to be imported and sold in the open market without production of certificate of analysis.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - IMPORTED MANURES.
All imports of artificial manures, including basic slag, are subject to sampling, and, in fact, generally are sampled at port of arrival by the Department of Agriculture. This sampling is done as a check on the guarantees given to importers. There is no restriction on the importation of fertilisers, but the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1906, imposes an obligation on the seller to give a warranty of the content of fertilising constituents in any artificial fertiliser. Any vendor of an artificial manure of home or foreign manufacture who sells such manure without giving the purchaser an invoice stating the percentage of the fertilising ingredient, or ingredients, commits an offence under the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1906, and is liable to penalties.
Will the Minister state if there is a percentage fixed by his Department.
Mr. HOGAN
Yes, there is.
What is the percentage?
Mr. HOGAN
Does the Deputy mean is there a fixed percentage of phosphates necessary in basic slag?
Yes.
Mr. HOGAN
I do not think so. We are satisfied if the actual percentage is advertised. If a man sells basic slag with 5 per cent. of phosphates in it, very well, he can do so, provided he gives a certificate as to the percentage of phosphates contained in it.
Will the Minister say if in superphosphates the percentage of 35 per cent would be too great?
Mr. HOGAN
We are dealing with basic slag. A percentage of 40 to 42 in basic slag is quite a sound commercial proposition. At the same time, there is nothing to stop a man selling basic slag with 5 per cent. phosphates, provided that he produces a certificate to that effect and the purchaser is satisfied with that certificate.
The Minister says that we are dealing with basic slag. The question relates to the importation of all artificial manures, of which superphosphate is one.
Mr. HOGAN
All we are concerned with is this: that the seller of the manures produces a certificate showing the analysis of the manures. He produces that to the purchaser. We are content with that. The purchaser knows what he is getting, then.
The Department does not specify any percentage in regard to superphosphates?
Mr. HOGAN
No.
Is the Minister satisfied that the seller produces a sufficient warranty that all manure is up to the standard?
Mr. HOGAN
There are cases where it is not, but on the whole it is working very well. The Department of Agriculture examines every consignment of fertilisers coming into the country, and we find very few cases in which the certificate is wrong. The Act is working very well.
There is only £10 allowed in the Estimate for the working of the Act. Does the Minister consider that £10 is sufficient to administer the Act?
Mr. HOGAN
What subhead of the Estimate is the Deputy dealing with?
Oh, now!
Mr. HOGAN
The work is being done anyway, and I suspect it is being paid for.