The only thing I can say is that the Department of Finance informed me that these Resolutions should be reported to-day. I am not able to give the exact date when the Bill must be through the House. With regard to the other point as to why an emergency duty was put on these articles, the reason is because there was a considerable import of certain things. In the case of pigs' meat, for instance, Deputies are aware that the duty was imposed about the 1st January, 1932. The effect of that duty was to exclude, or cut down, imports to a great extent. Under that particular duty bacon was allowed in free from Commonwealth countries. Whereas the import in the first six months of 1931 was 253,000 cwts., that was reduced to 161,000 cwts. for the first six months of 1932. The effect of the duty was to increase the imports from certain Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, and to cut out almost completely imports from Continental countries. Since the imposition of the emergency duty against Commonwealth countries, as well as other countries, the import of bacon has practically ceased.
In the case of sheep they were imported principally from Northern Ireland. At the time the tariff was put on large purchases were being made of breeding sheep in the Six County area for importation to the Free State. Since the tariff was imposed we have had applications for permission to import. It may be necessary to import certain breeding stock and we should have power to licence the import of sheep for that purpose. The same thing would apply to live poultry. It may also be necessary to import pedigree stock under that head.
In the case of eggs in shell, the imports reached in value £35,000 in 1928. In 1931 the value was £6,500. As regards eggs not in shell the value of the imports varied from £37,000 to £48,000 over the last ten years. For the first nine months of this year the imports were £22,600 in value, the same as for the corresponding period of 1931. During the month of September, which is the only month for which we have accurate returns since this duty was imposed under the Emergency Powers Order, the import was 68 cwt. as compared with 813 cwt. for the corresponding month of last year. The import of fats and so on has been rather large. Untreated animal fats are already dutiable under the bacon tariff and other meat tariffs that were imposed, but these are treated animal fats. It is felt that it would be difficult to put a duty upon meat essences because that would influence the prices of certain medicinal preparations and certain articles which are used largely by the poor in the making of soup and so on. Dripping, soup and so on which are treated can be very well done in this country. As our export of animal fats is larger than our imports in any one year it is clear that there is a sufficiency of these goods and that they can be treated in this country.
With regard to vegetables, the imports, exclusive of potatoes, onions and tomatoes, amount to between £7,000 and £9,000 annually. That is to say, raw vegetables. The value of imports of preserved vegetables varies from £8,000 to £25,000 annually. The imports of onions vary from £60,000 to £80,000. We do not propose to place a tariff on onions because the price at which they can be produced by the home growers would be very much greater than that at which they would be imported. The imports of tomatoes vary from £99,000 to £120,000 annually. I do not think there is anything else that I have to say.
