I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. The purpose of this Bill is to confirm nine Orders made during 1963 under the Imposition of Duties Act, 1957 and the Finance Act, 1962. It is a statutory requirement that such Orders must be confirmed not later than the end of the calendar year following that in which they are made.
The first of those Orders, No. 132, extended the scope of the customs duties on bars, rods, angles, shapes, sections, sheets and plates of iron or steel. The Order imposed minimum specific rates as an alternative to the ad valorem rates except in the case of sheets and plates, which are subject only to ad valorem rates of duty. The duties provide protection for a range of rolled steel products manufactured at Haulbowline, Cork.
The next Order No 134, amended the customs duty on wood so as to bring within its scope certain planed or dressed boards and planks of soft wood. In the reclassification of customs duties in the Brussels Nomenclature, the duty on these boards and planks was inadvertently removed, and it is necessary to restore the duty for the protection of the home industry.
The Order numbered 135 exempted tinplate from the scope of the duty on sheets and plates of iron and steel to which it had inadvertently become subject under the Brussels Nomenclature form of customs classification.
The five Orders numbered 136, 137, 139, 140 and 141, were made in accordance with the recommendations of the Industrial Development Authority. The first of these, No. 136, reduced the minimum specific duty on drinking glasses, other than drinking glasses of crystal. The next Order, No. 137, reduced the customs duty on wooden furniture. The third Order, No. 139, reduced the customs duty on certain kinds of floor tiles. Order No. 140 reduced the customs duty on certain textile floor coverings and the fifth Order, No. 141, reduced the ad valorem rates of customs duty on thread and ply-yarn of flax and on single yarn of flax in ball form.
The last of the Orders for confirmation, No. 142, effected a second general reduction of 10 per cent in the level of industrial protective tariffs. This was in pursuance of the policy of providing an incentive to industry to re-adapt itself and to prepare for freer trading conditions.
An explanatory memorandum has been circulated for the information of Deputies and deals in more detail with the Orders. I shall be glad to give any further information which may be required.