I move:
That Dáil Eireann hereby approves of Control of Imports (Quota No. 13) (Amendment) Order, 1937 (No. 53 of 1937), made on the 23rd day of March, 1937, by the Executive Council under the Control of Imports Act, 1934 (No. 12 of 1934).
That Dáil Eireann hereby approves of Control of Imports (Quota No. 33) Order, 1937 (No. 56 of 1937), made on the 23rd day of March, 1937, by the Executive Council under the Control of Imports Act, 1934 (No. 12 of 1934).
I might explain motions 3 and 2 together. For some years past, the importation of woollen and worsted cloth over 1/3 per square yard in value, has been subject to prohibition, and permitted only under the Control of Imports Act to the extent of the periodic quotas fixed. During the course of the past few months, however, there has been a steady rise in the price of cloth, and, consequently, grades of cloth which were previously exempted from that prohibition because they were under 1/3 per square yard in value, have since come within that category, and, as a result, difficulties were experienced by the clothing and cap manufacturers in respect of importing that grade of cloth. That difficulty could have been met by increasing the periodic quotas fixed, but that solution of the difficulty would not be satisfactory because, of course, the licences issued for the importation of cloth could be used for the importation of the much dearer grades of cloth, which are produced in the Saorstát mills, as well as for the cheaper cloths, the importation of which it would be designed to facilitate. Consequently, we have decided to meet the difficulty by amending the quota order so as to increase the exemption limit from 1/3 to 2/- per square yard, and, at the same time, have made a new quota order in respect of cloths between 1/3 and 2/-.
That device enables us to meet the reasonable requirements of the clothing and cap manufacturers, while, at the same time, continuing the protection given to the woollen manufacturers here. A comparatively small quota will be fixed for cloth over 2/- per square yard and a large quota for cloth under that value. In fact, there will be for the present, at any rate, no restriction of imports at all upon cloth under 2/- per square yard. In due course, that class of cloth may be manufactured here, in which case the quota order would be operated differently, but at the present time the Saorstát manufacturers are manufacturing cloth from 2/- per square yard upwards, and it is only in respect of that class of cloth that the quota restrictions will operate to limit imports. In respect of the cheaper cloths, there will be no such limitations. This arrangement was entered into after discussion with the clothing manufacturers and cloth manufacturers, and I think it will operate to the satisfaction of both parties.
