asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will grant the Wexford Engineering Company, which is operating without any protection either by way of tariff or quota restriction, an import licence for certain steel requirements immediately necessary for the continuance of production by that firm.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Steel Import Licence.
No licence is required for the importation of steel. Imports of certain types of steel are, however, subject to duty.
In view of the temporary cessation of production by Irish Steel Holdings, Limited, some months ago, it was decided that duty-free import facilities on a restricted basis would be granted to firms utilising steel of the type normally produced by that company. The Wexford Engineering Company have already received the duty-free import facilities to which they were entitled under this decision.
My information is that the Wexford Engineering Company were refused these facilities by the Minister's Department and on applying to Irish Steel Holdings they were informed that they could not get their necessary requirements there.
I can assure the Deputy that all firms who sought to import steel on the duty-free basis were treated equitably and there was no special decision for one firm as distinct from another. They were all treated alike so far as the facilities available were concerned. The difficulty arose, as I mentioned, out of the fact that Irish Steel Holdings, Limited, had to cease production on general lines for the purpose of installing a new furnace. That furnace has now been installed and Irish Steel Holdings will this week be proceeding to produce steel flats again and in three or four weeks' time it is likely they will be producing steel angles again which should meet the requirements of this and other Irish firms concerned. If there are any special difficulties in this matter and if the Deputy will communicate with me I will have it specially examined.
I appreciate the Minister's second reply but I have already communicated with the Department of Industry and Commerce and I have a letter from that Department in which these importations are refused. Further representations have been made to me by this firm that they cannot get this product from Irish Steel Holdings, Limited. This matter has been under consideration now for over a month and I have not got any definite decision except this one refusing importation on the 27th.
What the Deputy is seeking in his representations is to get for this firm facilities which have not been extended to any other firm. I thought I made it clear that all these firms were treated on the same basis. The Deputy's representations, which I can quite understand, are designed to secure some special facilities for this firm. They obviously cannot get facilities which are not made available to other firms. However, it is not possible in the course of a question and answer to explain the rather complicated mechanism which had to be devised when duty-free licences were being issued. The main object of the arrangement which was come to was to make sure that people did not unfairly exploit the fact that Irish Steel Holdings were closed for a certain period for the installation of a new furnace. We had to make sure that those who had been given those facilities did not stock up with imported steel at the expense of Irish Steel Holdings when they would resume production.