I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. This is merely a Bill to confirm four Orders made under the Imposition of Duties Act, and, as the House is aware, it has to be passed by a certain date. The four duties concerned are set out in the Bill: imposition of duty on malt extracts and preparations of malt extract and fish liver oil; imposition of duty on certain bottles and jars; imposition of duty on electric batteries; and imposition of duty on certain footballs and football covers.
Committee on Finance. - Imposition of Duties (Confirmation of Orders) Bill, 1949—Second and Subsequent Stages.
I have no objection to this Bill being passed, but I think it is a very bad precedent for the Minister to establish merely to indicate in the brief way he has done the effect of the Bill, without offering the House some information as to the scope of the activities to which it relates—the size of the industries that are being fostered and the amount of employment they may give.
I have plenty of information and I am prepared to give it to the House, if the House requires it.
As a matter of personal information, how may people are engaged in the making of footballs?
Not very many. I suppose there would not be more than ten.
How many firms?
There are two, I think. It is a small industry, but an industry which employs at least ten or 12 skilled persons. The duty is required mainly to meet importations from India where we are satisfied that the labour conditions and wage rates are such that these importations constitute unfair competition. For that reason, we thought it only right to protect the industry here, which is able to meet the entire demand for footballs and able to meet that demand on a competitive basis in the matter of price and quality, so far as footballs produced under similar labour and wage conditions are concerned.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill passed through Committee, received for final consideration and passed.
The Ceann Comhairle has certified this Bill to be a Money Bill in accordance with the provision of the Constitution.