asked the Minister for Finance whether, having regard to the continuing flow of indecent publications into the State, he will take steps to ensure that the present system of inspection and control of such publications will be reviewed and, if necessary, reinforced to secure proper and adequate control and examination of such works at the point of entry to the State.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Control of Indecent Publications.
I do not accept the suggestion in the first part of the question. I am satisfied that the powers vested in officers of customs and excise under customs law and under Section 5 of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1946, to detain indecent publications on importation are adequate and are being effectively exercised.
The Minister, if I heard him correctly, stated that he did not accept the first part of the question.
The suggestion in the first part.
Is the Minister aware that there is not proper control, which is the subject matter of the question? Is the Minister satisfied that a list should not be invoiced of what publications it is proposed to import, as is done in the Department of Industry and Commerce with other imports? If such a list were submitted to him he might get more effective control in that way.
I would have to consider that. It might be a very different problem.
Will the Minister agree to have a look at it?
I did ask for information such as this before and I was told I would have to go down to the place where these things were, that it would require a lorry to bring them up to show them to me.
Surely the Minister for Finance should not state that he was told by officers of his Department to go down or get a lorry to bring them up? If the Minister thinks it right to require a list to be furnished to him, surely there are powers to sustain him in enforcing that? If he does not think it right, that is another story.
The Deputy has based his supplementary question on misrepresentation of what I have said.
I understood the Minister to say that on a previous occasion he was told he would have to get a lorry to bring them up.
I did not say that.
If the Minister feels the lists must be submitted to him he has ample power to have that done.