I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. The purpose of the Bill, as set out in the explanatory memorandum which I have circulated to Deputies, is to confirm ten Orders made by the Government under the Emergency Imposition of Duties Act, 1932.
As indicated in the Schedule to this Bill, the first five Orders are Revocation Orders. With the exception of the duty on catgut, which is now being made here, the duties which were revoked had been suspended since the emergency and their retention was no longer necessary. The Order relating to manuscript books merely confirms the rate of duty imposed by an Order made under the Supplies and Services Act.
The increase in the duty on rosaries was necessary to protect the Irish manufacturers against imports of rosaries from the Far East at low prices which bore no comparison to the normal costs of production.
The manufacture of firebacks and cheeks for domestic fireplaces commenced in Cappoquin in 1954 and the duty was imposed in order to afford a measure of protection for the industry.
The increase in the duty on saws and the extension of the scope of the duty was necessary to enable the Irish firm producing these articles to procure a sufficient share of the home market for economic production. Notwithstanding the existence of the duty, traders had continued to buy imported saws because of a deep-rooted preference for saws produced by external firms who were long established on the Irish market. There were also imports of low-priced saws from the Continent. Moreover, the duty was being evaded by imports of saw blanks which were, in effect, finished saws except for the cutting of the teeth. Comparative tests between the Irish made saws and imported saws were carried out by the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards and these tests revealed that the Irish saws were equal to the imported saws in all essential respects.
The production of furnishing fabrics of the tapestry type used in the upholstery of furniture and for curtains commenced recently at Drogheda and Nenagh and the duty was imposed to afford a measure of protection for this new industry. The import control on mattress ticken was being evaded by imports from the Continent of ticken which was designed specifically to evade the import regulations and this problem was also dealt with in the Order made to protect the manufacture of furnishing fabric.
