asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the total import of fruit pulp into this country from the 1st May, 1964, to 30th April, 1965, showing for each of the following fruits, viz. raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and gooseberry (a) country of origin, (b) the amount of pulp, (c) the price, and (d) the names of persons to whom licences to import were issued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Imports of Fruit Pulp.
20.
As separate import statistics are not maintained in respect of fruit pulp or particular forms of fruit pulp, it is not possible to give the information in the form sought.
Is the Minister aware that the information which I have asked for was, in fact, given to me on a previous occasion and is he also aware that a practice has been growing up of granting licences to people to import fruit pulp while the Irish fruit is still on the market and would the Minister take steps to ensure that that does not happen this year?
That is a different point, which is not dealt with in the Deputy's question.
Surely the Minister would appreciate that that is the point of the question?
We grant licences for these products. I am not aware that any of the organisations concerned has ever complained to us about the granting of licences. We would only grant licences where the supplies would not be available from home sources.
Would the Minister take my word for it that complaints have been made and that, in fact, licences were issued while the home-grown fruit was still available?
It is not a question of taking the Deputy's word for it but if the Deputy gives me details I will certainly have them looked into.
Most certainly I will oblige the Minister but will the Minister, in turn, oblige me by looking through his records where he will see that the information I have asked for was given on a previous occasion? do not ask for the names of the persons. Perhaps that is what is causing the trouble.
Precisely. I was just about to say that. We do not give the names of the persons concerned or the amounts granted to each person.
I agree it might be embarrassing.
But the Deputy has asked, not for the amount of the licences issued, but for actual imports.
That is right.
Figures of import are not kept. Statistics of actual imports are not available. I could give the Deputy details of licences issued. I could give him the total quantities for which licences were issued. That would not necessarily indicate that these amounts were imported.
If the Minister would do that it would help but I still think that he can do the other thing, or his officials can, if they go to the trouble.
I can give the Deputy figures for licences granted now: raspberry, 90 tons; strawberry, 68 tons; gooseberry, 30 tons; no blackcurrant. There was no licence issued for blackcurrant pulp. I have no indication or no way of estimating whether these amounts were actually imported. These are only figures for licences granted.
The Minister can be sure that they were imported.