asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether, in view of the low price available for hides and skins in the home market, he will now remove the restrictions on the export of these goods.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hides and Skins Export (Restrictions).
Restrictions on the export of hides and skins are necessary to ensure adequate supplies for the home tanners.
As part of comprehensive arrangements designed to encourage the development of carcase beef exports, the hides derived from that trade are permitted to be exported, as well as hides shown to be surplus to home needs. There is no surplus of native sheep skins.
I am satisfied that in present circumstances no relaxation of the existing export restrictions would be warranted.
Is the Minister aware that because of this ban farmers and butchers have been compelled to pay millions of pounds in subsidies to local tanneries? At the moment, there are skins and hides rotting in this country because the ban will not be removed.
Is the Minister aware that Donegal is in a peculiar position, due to the fact that buying there has ceased? I think that in that county the situation has been, and is, worse than anywhere else due to its geographical situation and to the cost of transporting hides to the tanneries.
There is a special position in Donegal. It is not that buying has ceased but that selling has ceased. With regard to the supplementary question asked by Deputy Lehane, if I have any information that there is a stock of hides anywhere which is not needed, I shall take the matter up with the Tanners' Federation.
Further arising out of the reply, may I say that selling in Donegal has ceased due to the fact that 4d. per lb. is the highest price offered by buyers for hides?
Hides are sold on a different basis in Donegal to the rest of the country. There is an objection there, I gather, to the system of grading which is the normal system throughout the rest of the country. The situation has been receiving attention but I do not want to hold out any prospect that a different system of buying hides can be instituted to that which prevails for the rest of the country.
Is the grading system not just a pure racket to get hides cheaply?