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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Feb 1942

Vol. 85 No. 12

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Removal of Quotas.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether in view of the difficulty of getting supplies he will remove the quotas imposed by him which are preventing the free importation of supplies where available.

Certain quotas have been suspended and the question of suspending other quotas is at present under active consideration. I should add that the quotas appointed under existing quota orders are, in all cases, sufficiently large to ensure that there is, in practice, no restriction on the importation of the commodities concerned.

Does the Minister realise that the continued existence of quotas results in restraining the vast majority of merchants from effecting imports to the country?

I am aware that the contrary is more often the case.

You can only import a quota article if you are on the register of importers. If you are not on that register you cannot get a licence to import under the relevant section of the quota order, but while that is so there are hundreds of merchants in this country who could get stuff in from Northern Ireland and Great Britain. They are not able to do that because of the fact that they are not on the register of importers. No matter what quantity of stuff may be permitted to come in under the quota, due to what I have stated, the position is that we have people who could get stuff and are forbidden by our own Government from bringing it in. Half the scarcity that we have at the present time is due to the fact that our own Government will not allow merchants to bring stuff into the country. Surely it is time to end that codology?

It is codology.

It is true.

The Deputy is wrong in that case. In practice we find it much more desirable to rely on the efforts of those normally engaged in the business of importing goods, and in cases where there was no quota order for the purpose of confining available business to normal importers we have actually made special orders for that purpose.

I could import goods but I will not be allowed to do it, and there are many other merchants in the country in exactly the same position. We cannot bring in the goods because we will not be allowed to do so by our own Government.

That is not true.

It is true.

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