asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he proposes to remove the tariff from maize meal in order to reduce the cost of production of the pig, fowl and egg export industries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tariff On Maize Meal.
There is no import duty on maize meal.
Am I not correct in saying that the lifting of the import duty on maize meal was effected when there was no maize meal to import, but so long as there was maize meal to import there was a duty upon it? Are we to understand from the Minister's reply that when maize meal becomes available for import again no duty will be put upon it?
The Deputy asked whether we propose to remove the tariff on maize meal, and the answer is that there is no tariff.
I do not blame the Minister. He does not understand the question. There are tariffs imposed by the Finance Acts, and tariffs imposed by Emergency (Imposition of Duties) Orders. The tariff on maize meal was part of the permanent financial policy of the Fianna Fáil Government pre-war, which, God knows, the Minister for Finance should know. It was taken off with a hundred other tariffs during the emergency, and what I want to know is: will the permanent tariff which obtained up to the time of the emergency be reimposed when maize meal is again available for import? If the Minister does not understand the question let him wait until Dr. Ryan, the Minister for Agriculture, comes back from his holiday.
The Deputy should be able to phrase his own question. What he asked was, whether it is proposed——
That is the information I want. Is the Minister going to give it to me?
I am going to give the Deputy the information he asked for. He asked the Minister for Agriculture "whether he proposes to remove the tariff from maize meal", and the answer is that there is no tariff on maize meal.
I will put it down in words of one syllable next week. You will understand it then.