I move that this Bill be now read a Second Time. The purpose of this Bill is to confirm 11 Orders made by the Government under the Emergency Imposition of Duties Act. Deputies will have learned from the explanatory memorandum what these Orders were about. Two of them imposed new protective duties on stainless steel couplings and cotton tapes and bindings. Eight of them extended the scope of existing duties in certain respects and one related to television sets and reduced the duty in operation on television sets.
I should like to give a brief account as to why the Orders were made. The manufacture of stainless steel couplings was begun by a well-known Dublin firm and although that firm has an established reputation it was felt that they would not be able to make headway against existing trade connections without the aid of a protective duty having regard to the fact that these goods were ordinarily supplied by very well-known firms in Great Britain. The business cannot be very extensive as the value of the market for these goods is estimated at about £16,000 per year. In the case of television sets there was a duty of 75 per cent. (full) and a 50 per cent. preferential with certain minimum duties. The practice had developed under which licences for duty free import were given to firms engaged in the sale ofradio sets and to other traders wishing to import television sets for experimental purposes and not for resale. That practice was an undesirable one. It left open the possibility of charges of discrimination and preferential treatment and it was considered preferable to reduce the duty to 37½ per cent. (full) and 25 per cent. (preference) without a provision for importation free of duty under licence. There is no protective purpose in that duty. It operates solely for revenue purposes.
The next Order related to plastic hair slides and combs. It excluded from the existing duty combs made from metal, glass, wood, stone or mother-of-pearl. Combs made of these materials were admitted free of duty as they were not made here. They have now been excluded from the scope of the duty. The Order also brought within the scope of the duty plastic hair slides. The effect of the change is not likely to be considerable. Tarpaulins were subject to duty heretofore when impregnated with tar or pitch. Recently tarpaulins impregnated with other chemicals have been imported and the scope of the duty has been extended to cover tarpaulins which are impregnated with any chemical including tar and pitch. There was no duty previously on cotton tapes, bindings and webbings. Irish manufacturers claim to be able to supply the full market needs for these goods but they are at a slight handicap in competition with outside firms because of the smaller quantities of them normally made in one run in Irish factories. Protection, on that account, was deemed to be necessary.
The Order relating to artificial silk piece goods extended the scope of the existing customs duty on these goods by reducing the minimum price specified in the original Order from 1/6 to 1/3 per square yard and by reducing the width limit so specified from 60 inches to 53 inches. The manufacture of artificial piece goods has, of course, developed very considerably here and the extension of the scope of the duty, by reducing these limits, was considered desirable to increase the protection to these firms. There are eightof them at present engaged in the manufacture of these goods.
The next Order relates to babies' napkins, knickers, pants and certain sanitary clothing. The position in that regard was that the cloth from which these goods are made is subject to duty here, and previously these goods were held to be subject to duty also, but a recent decision of the Revenue Commissioners that they were sanitary ware, instead of articles of clothing, excluded them from the duty so we have remedied that position by bringing them back again.
