asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that dairy operators in Tipperary have been gravely inconvenienced by long delays in the supply of foil for milk bottle tops from the manufacturers as ordered through the IAWS; whether a monopoly exists in the manufacture of such foil in this country; whether he will permit further imports of foil from abroad to eliminate such delays; and whether he will investigate the whole position in regard to foil supplies to dairy operators.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foil for Milk Bottle Tops.
9.
Aluminium foil for milk bottle tops is produced by only one manufacturer in this country. The normal delivery period is four weeks from the date of the order.
During the past six months seven orders for this material for use in three dairies in County Tipperary were transmitted by the IAWS to the manufacturer. In two instances orders from one of these dairies were not executed within the normal period.
On one occasion when delivery was not effected until six weeks from the receipt of the order for a very small quantity of foil in an unusual width, the manufacturer had to defer production until a minimum economic machine load could be made up from orders received from other customers. On the other occasion delivery took place in five weeks from the receipt of the order.
I am satisfied with the service given by the manufacturer who, incidentally, has an export trade of aluminium foil for milk bottle tops. I, therefore, see no reason why duty-free imports of this material should be permitted. As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware, users of foil can import this material on payment of duty should they elect to do so.
Is the Minister not aware that there has been over five weeks' delay in the supply of this foil in the case of the dairy in Nenagh? Is he further aware that, when the foil was applied for, the dairy operators were told that the type was unusual and not readily available, whereas, in fact, the type applied for was the type supplied to every creamery in the Twenty-Six Counties? Is the Minister also aware that certain suppliers are bringing in foil, with the permission of the Minister, from outside the country? Does the Minister think that a dairy supplying bottled milk can afford to wait five, six and seven weeks before getting a supply of foil for capping milk bottles?
As I have already indicated, the Minister for Industry and Commerce made inquiries in regard to this matter and found, as a result, that deliveries were satisfactory in relation to a number of orders which passed through the IAWS. There were two exceptional cases. One company had some teething troubles in the early course of manufacture. These teething troubles are now over. I do not think the Deputy will find any need to complain in future. I think he will find supplies up to date.
I have here a letter from the IAWS——
The Deputy may not read a letter.
I am not going to read it. It is dated 28th January and it is a letter regretting that an order sent in in early December could not even be confirmed until the person ordering phoned at the end of January. In view of that, how can the Minister give us secondhand information from a file with which someone has supplied him? I can supply the Minister with letters and the manufacturers' billheads, giving the day and date. Surely the Minister will not then stand up here and try to shove barefaced lies down our throats.
I resent the suggestion that I am telling barefaced lies. I am making a report on information secured from the IAWS. If the Deputy has some further representations to make to the Minister, will he send them to the Minister, when they will be inquired into?
It would be no good. The people want bottle caps, not inquiries.