asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the result of his Department's investigation into allegations that casein buttons of British manufacture were being dumped on the Irish market; and the steps which have been taken in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dumping of Buttons.
31.
Investigation of the allegations that casein buttons of British manufacture are being dumped on the Irish market has not yet been completed.
An obvious supplementary question to ask would be when the Minister hopes that the investigation will be completed, and I am asking it. I would add this: what is the difficulty about completing the inquiry because, according to my information, it concerns only one importer?
The people who made the complaint in this regard were met in my Department and the nature of the proof required to take effective action in dealing with this was explained to them. They are endeavouring to get that proof and we are awaiting it.
Can the Minister confirm that in fact the price of the Irish buttons compares very favourably indeed with the price of similar buttons manufactured elsewhere and that the complaint in this instance is that out-of-fashion buttons are being bought as a job lot and shoved on to the Irish market, possibly to do serious damage to the Irish trade?
This is the nature of the complaint.