asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will review the present position in relation to the distribution of cartridges with a view to releasing supplies to enable farmers to protect their crops.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Distribution of Cartridges.
I have had under consideration the position in regard to supplies of cartridges during the current year, and by arrangement with the manufacturers there will be an issue of cartridges in the near future to ammunition dealers generally. In accordance with the practice which has obtained since the distribution of cartridges has been controlled by emergency Order, a proportion of the available supplies of cartridges will be reserved for farmers for the protection of their crops against vermin.
The supplies of cartridges which will be available this year will be considerably less than normal requirements and, consequently, holders of shotgun certificates generally will be able to procure only a limited number of cartridges.
Would it not be practicable to relate, in some measure at least, the supply of cartridges to the issue of licences, because I have reason to believe that persons who have licences, £2 licences, cannot get a cartridge and certain big cartridge dealers are shooting as much as, or more than, they did pre-war? I have heard of cases, though I am not in a position to prove them, of persons holding licences to whom it has been indicated that if they were prepared to pay 1/3 per cartridge they could get them, but not at a lower figure.
The number of cartridges permitted is related to the number of licences extant.
Would the Minister not consider a scheme whereby a person getting a £2 licence would have the right to go to a licensed dealer and get a dozen or a dozen and a half cartridges which would be endorsed on his permit and in respect of which the dealer could apply to the manufacturer for supplies? Otherwise, I believe the supply of cartridges are, as to about 50 per cent., being used by the dealers or diverted into the black market.
In great part, that is the scheme of distribution in force, but the distribution of cartridges to dealers is related to their previous sales and could not be arranged on any other basis.
I can assure the Minister that there can be no difficulty, or at least very little difficulty, about such a scheme.
I can assure the Deputy that there would be very great difficulty.
I have been dealing in cartridges for years——
I have been administering the Department of Supplies for five years.
——and there can be no difficulty in relating the wholesale sale of cartridges to the retail sale, if the Minister will only try.