asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether it is proposed to reduce the import tariff rate on fully assembled cars; and whether he will take steps to ensure that in such cases employment in the assembly industry will be maintained.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tariff Reductions.
35.
I would refer the Deputy to the reference which I made to this matter on 8th November in the debate on the Estimate for my Department, and also to my reply to a question by the Deputy on 9th November. I am not yet in a position to add to the information which I have already given.
Can the Minister assure the House that employment in the motor assembly industry will be maintained at its present level if this suggestion that fully-assembled cars be allowed in is put into effect? Will he assure the House that employment will, in fact, be maintained?
As I have already informed the House, the object of these negotiations has been to ensure that employment will at least be maintained at present levels and, I would hope, increased.
36.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether in the current free trade discussions any consideration was given to the position of industries which are being adversely affected by the present tariff reductions; and whether any concessions will be made for such industries when the next ten per cent reduction takes place.
The recent regular annual meeting between Irish and British officials covered all aspects of trade between the two countries, including problems arising for both countries out of the Free Trade Area Agreement. Special difficulties which may arise for individual industries are, of course, examined when they occur with a view to seeking an appropriate solution as quickly as possible. It is not the practice to announce decisions regarding remedial action in advance of their being put into effect.
Can the Minister assure the House that the position of some industries which in the past year have not been doing too well under the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement was, in fact, discussed and remedial action decided upon? I speak in particular of the tyre industry, the furniture industry and the shoe industry.
The Deputy will be aware that as far as the tyre industry is concerned action has already been taken under the Free Trade Area Agreement. As regards the furniture industry, despite all the prognostications in the CIO report, the industry is doing very well relative to what it was doing before. As regards the shoe industry, the difficulties arising for that industry do not arise under the Free Trade Area Agreement because that industry is at present operating under the same protection as it operated under in the past four years. The difficulties for that industry arise because of a recession in export markets.
Apart from the tyre industry, can the Minister say was remedial action taken in other branches of industry?
As I have said, industries which might have particular difficulties arising out of the Free Trade Area Agreement were considered but in any case where remedial action is being taken, it is not the practice to announce this before action is taken.
Could the Minister give us any idea if representations have been made from individual industries for remedial action under the Agreement?
No, I am afraid I could not do that.
Has there been any?
Offhand, I am not aware of any.
The Minister mentioned the tyre industry.
I mean apart from those to which I have referred.
Does the Minister say that in the recent discussions his Department had not been contacted by any Irish industry making representations to the effect that they had been adversely affected by the Free Trade Area Agreement? Is the Minister saying to the House that in fact he has not been so contacted?
What I am saying is that apart from those to which I have referred, I am not aware of any complaints from industry arising out of the operation of the Free Trade Area Agreement. There seems to be a great deal of misconception in regard to industries which have had difficulties, that these difficulties arise out of the Free Trade Area Agreement. That is not in fact so.
Can the Minister say whether representations have been received by him or his Department in respect of the agricultural machinery industry?
I have received some representations in regard to the setting up of a new industry for agricultural machinery.
The Minister must be aware, as I am, that he did receive some representations from a firm engaged in the manufacture of agricultural machinery, apart from the representations I made to him myself.
The only representations of which I am aware, without notice of the question, are in regard to agricultural machinery, which, as I have said, are in regard to the setting up of a new industry for the manufacture of agricultural machinery, an industry which would involve a certain amount of temporary protection to enable it to get off the ground.