The motion, which has been moved by Deputy Byrne, asks the Dáil to set up a committee to investigate and report on the reasons for the scarcity of tea, cocoa and coffee. I do not think any Deputy has spoken about the motion, nor do I think a case could be made for setting up a committee to find out the reason for the scarcity of tea, cocoa and coffee. The reason for the general scarcity of these commodities is well known, and nothing that a committee could do could possibly add to our knowledge of it.
It may, however, be no harm to refresh the minds of Deputies on the history of our tea supplies during the war. I think most Deputies are aware that before the war the bulk of our tea came from the United Kingdom. It was bought in the London tea market through English tea brokers. Some part of our supplies came from Holland, a similar tea market in Holland, and some came direct from India and other countries of origin; but by far the greater part of our supplies came from London. When the war started, the British Government took control of all the tea in Great Britain. That situation inevitably led to discussions between ourselves and the Tea Control Section of the British Ministry of Food. They had then under their control the tea supplies which had been destined for this country.
Arising out of these discussions, an arrangement was made under which they, on their side, agreed to give us our normal annual imports of tea, based upon the actual recorded imports during a period of 12 months prior to June, 1939, and to make up that proportion of our normal annual imports which formerly was obtained from Holland or direct from India, on the understanding that we would take all our supplies from them and not attempt to compete in other markets for supplies or to make arrangements for shipments of supplies from other markets. We made that arrangement, and it worked very smoothly for a considerable period of time.
In June, 1940, the British Government decided to introduce tea rationing in Great Britain, but when they did they officially informed us that the introduction of rationing in Great Britain would not involve any alteration of our position, and that we would continue to receive periodic allocations of tea equivalent to 100 per cent. of our normal purchases. Towards the end of 1940, when air attacks upon Great Britain became more numerous, their transport and distribution arrangements were from time to time disorganised, and before the end of the year the allocation of tea to this country had fallen into arrear. We were due certain allocations which had not, in fact, arrived. There was no change in the English position, and, in fact, discussions were proceeding between officers of my Department and officials of the Tea Control Section in Great Britain concerning the wiping out of the arrears of allocations by the exportation of special consignments to this country. We were anxious, naturally, to maintain, if possible, a reserve supply in this country, and we felt that these allocations in arrear, if made good, would provide that reserve.
That situation continued until 16th January, 1941. We were then informed, without any preliminary notice, and with no reason to expect the intimation, that the current allocation of tea was going to be reduced to the same level as that obtaining in the United Kingdom; that is to say, to about 85 per cent. of the normal quantity. That intimation took us by surprise and certainly found us unprepared for the immediate introduction of the rationing scheme which then became necessary. We felt sure that any necessity to reduce the allocation of tea to this country by the British Tea Control would be preceded by an intimation sufficiently in advance of the actual reduction of supplies to enable us to prepare for the introduction of a rationing scheme. As I have said, however, we got no such intimation except the unexpected notification that the current allocation was being reduced to 85 per cent. We immediately took steps to control the distribution of tea by wholesalers to retailers, and for the introduction of a rationing scheme. We had numerous discussions during that period with the British Tea Control, but they did not result in any increase in the allocation then being made on the basis of 85 per cent. On the contrary, and without previous intimation again, we received notifications in rapid succession that current allocations were being reduced from 85 per cent. to 60 per cent., from 60 per cent. to 50 per cent., and, finally, from 50 per cent. to 25 per cent. In fact, before our rationing scheme came into full formal operation, the allocations of tea to this country were being made, not upon the basis of 85 per cent., but upon the basis of 25 per cent.
When it became evident that the British Ministry of Food were not prepared to increase the supplies of tea to this country, we gave consideration to the question of endeavouring to augment our supplies by direct purchases either in the countries of origin or in the United States of America. It was obvious that the principal difficulty in the making of direct purchases was that of arranging for shipment, but on the establishment of Irish Shipping, Ltd., it appeared likely that that difficulty, to some extent, would be relieved, and steps were then taken to set up an importing organisation for tea. A company on the usual lines, called Tea Importers (Éire), Ltd., was set up as a non-profit-making company to arrange for direct imports of tea, and the consent of prominent members of the Wholesale Tea Merchants' Association to act as directors of that company was secured. That company set out to buy tea in the United States of America and in Calcutta. They bought a quantity of tea in the U.S.A., and a very much larger quantity in India, but considerable difficulty was experienced in arranging shipment from India.
We found, in fact, that direct shipment from India was out of the question. Consequently, plans had to be revised for the movement of that tea and arrangements were made for its shipment the other way around the world, that is to say, from India, through the Panama Canal, to the eastern coast of the U.S.A., with the intention of picking it up from the American ports in our own ships and bringing it across the Atlantic here. That movement is going on at the moment, and there are some 2,000,000 lbs. of tea at present on the sea somewhere between India and the United States and there is a considerably larger quantity awaiting shipment.
Whether the arrangements will work out as planned, and the tea will arrive in this country, it is yet too soon to say. It is, in present circumstances, very unwise to assume that everything will work out as anticipated, but there is at least reason to hope that some part of that tea, which has been purchased through Tea Importers, Ltd., will arrive here. A quantity of tea purchased in the U.S.A. has arrived and forms part of our present supplies.
Because of these purchases made in the U.S.A. and in India, and because of the fact that we can proceed upon the assumption that some of that tea will arrive here, and also having regard to the stocks of tea which had been accumulated through administrative action in the hands of wholesale merchants, it was decided in mid-October to increase the ration from half an ounce per head per week to one ounce. In the month of October we received intimation from the British Tea Control that the current allocation would be on the basis of 37½ per cent., instead of on the basis of 25 per cent. It was that intimation that turned the decision in favour of increasing the ration to one ounce per week, but, as Deputies now know, the next allocation was again made upon the 25 per cent. basis. I cannot say for certain whether we will be able to keep the one-ounce ration going indefinitely. I can say certainly that we will be able to keep it till the end of the present month, as stocks for that purpose are available, but whether it will be possible to carry it on during January depends upon the arrival of certain supplies that are on the seas at the present time. If these supplies do not arrive, we cannot do it; if they do arrive, we may be able to do it. In any event, however, I should hope that even if we have to revert to the half-ounce ration for the month of January we will be able to restore the ounce ration in February.
All these plans, of course, are based on the assumption that no catastrophe will befall the stocks en route. It is not desirable, I think, that we should allow the wholesale stocks in the country to fall unduly low, because, of course, circumstances might arise at any time which would involve a total cutting off of all supplies for a period, and therefore we have got to keep some small reserves available, but we hope that it will be possible to do that, and, at the same time, maintain the one-ounce ration. However, if it should turn out that we are not able to do that and if these supplies, now at sea, should not arrive, and if, consequently, we have to revert to the half-ounce ration for the month of January, I would ask the public not to be too disappointed because I should hope to be able to increase the ration to one ounce in the month of February.
