asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has received any complaints about the quality of the oranges imported from Spain under the Spanish Trade Agreement; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to remedy the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Spanish Trade Agreement.
Complaints have been addressed to me on a few occasions by registered importers regarding the quality of the oranges imported from Spain, under the Spanish Trade Agreement. As registered importers were at liberty to import from Spain under the licences issued to them the particular quality of orange required by them, I do not consider that the situation is one which calls for intervention on my part.
As stated in my reply to a question asked by Deputy Desmond on 15th May, 1935, the Spanish Government undertook that their exporters would supply the kinds of oranges ordered by Irish importers, and I have no reason to think that this undertaking is not being honoured.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, and in view of the fact that his eyes have been opened, and that something approximating to rubbish is being dumped here by Spanish exporters, is he aware that the licences which he issues to importers under the Spanish Trade Agreement quota operate in such a way as to make it impossible for anybody but one individual to import oranges; that he then divides the cargo upon its delivery in Dublin, and that the business of ordering, as a result of the restrictions which the Minister incorporated in his quota licences, is reserved to one individual or firm?
The Deputy is entirely misinformed on all points.
Is the Minister aware that the licences which he has issued contain a proviso that oranges must be imported direct from the Spanish port to an Irish port, without touching at any port on the way, and that that has resulted in one firm only being in a position to give a sufficiently large order to justify a consignment?
The Deputy is talking nonsense. There are 150 people importing.
Is the Minister prepared to receive a deputation from the fruit dealers in the City of Dublin on the subject?
The fruit dealers are in constant touch with my Department.
Will the Minister say when he last saw them on the point raised here?
No point has been raised here. Some nonsense has been talked—that is all.
Is the Minister aware that protests were published in the current Press against this practice? Is he aware that very grave abuses are at present existing in connection with it?
I am aware that there are well over 150 persons on the register of importers who are in fact importing oranges.
Is the Minister aware that they can only import them on an order issued by one individual firm?
I am not. That is part of the nonsense.
Does the Minister understand that when a person gets a licence to import oranges from Spain from his Department he is not able to import them, and that he has to hand that licence over to other people in the City of Dublin and get the oranges imported through them?
I am not aware of that.
Will the Minister undertake to receive a deputation from fruit merchants in the city and allow them to make their protest personally?
I have enough to do without talking nonsense with any deputation that Deputy Mulcahy tries to arrange.
Does the Minister say that the fruit merchants talk nonsense?
Question No. 4.
He will hear more about this.