asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will recommend the issue of licences for the importation of flannelette free of Customs duty in view of the fact that it is not manufactured here and that it is a textile used almost exclusively by poor people.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flannelette Imports.
I am at present considering the question of issuing licences in respect of flannelette and will let the Deputy know of my decision in due course.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, has he refused licences to import flannelette to any applicants?
Yes.
If so, will the Minister be good enough to notify those applicants that he is now reconsidering the position in regard to the issue of licences for that material? If he does not do so, those applicants, having been refused licences, may go into the markets and buy flannelette and pay the duty on it, and then, on its being delivered, discover that the Minister has changed his mind and that their competitors are bringing in the same flannelette, under licence, free of duty. Will the Minister notify such applicants as he has refused up to date that the question is under consideration?
The fact that I have the matter under consideration will be published, and the Deputy can feel assured that all equitable claims will be fully considered.
A number of applications to import flannelette free of duty has been received by the Minister's Department. To those applicants a stock reply was sent out to the effect that the Minister cannot see his way to recommend the importation of this material free of duty in these cases. The Minister's Department has a record of all the applicants to whom this reply was sent, and all I ask is that a circular should be sent out to these applicants to the effect that the question of the issue of licences is being considered at present.
It would be premature to do that at the moment. It may not be necessary to issue licences in regard to the importation of flannelette.
I want to avoid the case of, say, two merchants in one street— one paying 33? per cent. duty, and his next door neighbour bringing in the material free of duty. There are only 200 applications in the Minister's Department, and I suggest that an hour's work would furnish each applicant with the circular, and that that would remove any possibility of any injustice arising in the special circumstances.