asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if relative to the imports of 1,521,024 square yards of woollen and worsted cloths allocated to clothing manufacturers in the year ended 29th February, 1960 he will state the proportion of imported cloth to purchases from Irish mills allowed to such manufacturers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cloth Imports by Clothing Manufacturers.
24.
In the year ended 29th February, 1960 the Quotas appointed under the Control of Imports (Quota No. 13) Order, 1935, for imports of woollen and worsted materials were distributed amongst the registered importers on the basis of their total purchases (i.e. imports plus purchases from the Irish mills) of such material in the year ended 29th February, 1956. In the circumstances the information sought in the Question is not readily available and I do not consider that the labour which would be involved in compiling it would be warranted, particularly since, as was indicated in my reply of 4th May, allocations are now based on purchases in the year ended 28th February, 1959.
Could the Minister not say what proportion, in other words, what percentage, of imported cloth is allocated to Irish clothing manufacturers relative to their purchases from Irish mills? Surely he can answer that question? Is it five, six, ten or 20 per cent.?
I understand that it would be extremely difficult to prepare the figures required by the Deputy and, as I have already pointed out, the system for calculating the quota has been changed drastically since this period and a new system is now in operation.
Is the Minister not aware that there is a fixed proportion of imported cloth allowed to manufacturers who purchase from Irish mills and, if that is so, what is the proportion, or does every manufacturer get a different proportion?
The amounts, naturally, vary. In the current quota period the quota is based on purchases from Irish mills only in the case of men's clothing and it is based on imported cloth as well as home purchases in the case of women's clothing and that alters the whole principle of the quotas—changes the system.
What is the basis?
It is felt that, in those circumstances, it would not be useful to compile a list of imported and home-manufactured cloth in respect of a previous quota period in which it was on an entirely different basis, and which would take a great deal of time.