Vol. 251 No. 10
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if any recent directive was given by him to Aer Lingus and other semi-State companies under the aegis of his Department regarding the importance of using Irish made products; and, if so, if any check will be carried out by him to ascertain the extent to which this directive is being complied with.
16.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether there is any Government policy regarding Aer Lingus and other semi-State bodies under the aegis of his Department using Irish products in preference to non-Irish products; if so, what it is; and how it is carried out.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together.
It is Government policy that the State-sponsored bodies should give a preference to Irish manufactured goods. I am sure that Deputies appreciate that it would not be in the general interest to disclose the extent of preference provided for. I am satisfied that the State-sponsored bodies concerned fully understand and implement Government policy in this matter to the maximum possible extent.
Is the Minister aware of an account which appeared recently in two national newspapers of a burglary in a certain firm from which cutlery which belonged to Aer Lingus was stolen? Does he not think that above all things cutlery is one product for which this country is famous? Newbridge cutlery is renowned. Does he not think it is a shame that cutlery from Japan is used by Aer Lingus?
This is primarily a matter for Aer Lingus but inquiries have been made into this particular instance. The vast bulk of cutlery purchased by Aer Lingus is Irish manufactured but in this case the price offered by the non-Irish firm was far below what was represented by the preferential amount allowed, but the vast bulk of purchases have been made from Irish sources. It just happened that the particular cutlery was a small proportion of foreign made cutlery purchased by Aer Lingus. They would be entitled, if they so chose, to buy all their cutlery abroad if the quotation were of such a kind as I have indicated, which was away below what would be regarded as the preference allowed to Irish manufacturers.
Do I take it then that everyone in the country can follow the same example? That they can buy 80 per cent of their cutlery from China and Japan, who are working under lower wages and who have a lower cost of living, who do very little trade with us, and who import less from us than we import from them? The Government can do this and still exhort the people to buy Irish but why should they when the Government will not do it?
The Deputy misunderstood me completely.
I did not.
I said that 80 per cent of a particular order at which I looked was purchased from Irish sources. I have had plenty of experience of this as I preceded the present Minister, and we had regular discussions on this and the State companies as a whole are very good at purchasing Irish materials and Irish goods——
So they should.
——even though on occasions the price differential would not appear to justify that. I have had long experience of this and I could get a reasonable explanation in nearly every case where foreign goods were purchased.
I did not misunderstand the Minister; he misunderstood me. I asked the Minister was it now right for an Irish person to buy 80 per cent of Irish products and buy the other 20 per cent abroad if the price was cheaper. The Government, the people and Deputies are willing to subsidise industries here and yet a State industry is willing to buy outside the country. It is a disgrace.
Did I understand the Minister to say that if they so wished Aer Lingus were entitled to buy the complete lot from outside the country if the price justified that?
What Fianna Fáil man managed the agency?
They must award up to a certain preference for Irish-made goods. The preference allowed under all circumstances of our industry is reasonable and is being found reasonable by the Government, by my predecessor and by the present Minister in relation to purchases of these State enterprises and it results in an enormous proportion of the total goods purchased by these companies being of Irish origin. I went through it when I was Minister and the present Minister, I have no doubt, has also gone through it.
If what the Tánaiste says is correct, is it a fact that when free trade operates following our entry into the EEC, Irish companies will be allowed to buy all their requirements if they so desire in foreign countries? Does it mean that all hope of retaining Irish-manufactured goods on sale here is gone?
I have not said anything of the kind. I am not in a position to give the Deputy a reply to the specific question as to what will happen when all tariffs have been abolished in relation to State contracts.
It is disgraceful.
I am calling Question No. 17.
