asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of the fact that workers in the Irish Dunlop Company in Cork were for some time on a four-day week, he will now take steps to stop the importation of foreign tyres into this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tyre Imports.
31.
Tyres on the home market are already afforded a considerable degree of protection but I am considering representations made to me that imports of certain tyres from low-cost countries are increasing.
I understand that the difficulties being experienced by Irish Dunlop are not due solely to imports. The company have stated, as reported in the Press on 23rd August, 1971, that because of factors outside their control, they have had to cut back on their export programme.
If and when we join the EEC will the importation of foreign tyres or Japanese tyres be debarred?
The question is: what will be foreign at that stage? In relation to Japanese tyres, the standard common external tariff would operate.
If tyres are allowed in here under the EEC what tariff will have to be paid? This is very important to the workers in the Irish Dunlop Company in Cork and I want a reply.
Will the tariffs e higher than they are at present?
The question made no reference to an EEC situation and I have not got the figure for what the tariff would be.
Stop bluffing and give us a proper reply. There were 900 people on a four-day week the week before last and they are now on a five-day week. I am looking after the workers of Cork.
If the Deputy wanted a reply about the situation with regard to the tyre industry following our entry into the EEC I respectfully suggest that he should have put down that question. That is not the question.
This question was made out to the Taoiseach along with Questions Nos. 4 and 5 on today's Order Paper and I got a tabular statement. That is no way to answer questions.
Questions Nos. 4 and 5 and this question make no reference to the EEC.
May I ask the Minister whether representations have been made to him by the management of the Irish Dunlop Company about Japanese tyres?
Yes.
Could he tell us when?
Some considerable time ago. Earlier in the year.
Therefore, the Irish Dunlop Company consider the importation of Japanese tyres as harmful to their company and to the workers? If representations were made some time ago in the interests of continued employment in that factory the Minister should have come to a speedy decision and not left it for some considerable time.
It was in the interests of the workers that the Minister did not come to a speedy decision.
I do not think the workers would appreciate that.
I know, because of the manner in which the difficulty is presented to the workers by, perhaps, interested parties. The situation as far as tyres are concerned is that we are at present, and have been for some time, exporting more tyres than we are importing, both in quantity and value.
But not to Japan.
I do not want any action I take to have the effect of interfering in any way with the export of our tyres.
Is the Minister suggesting that by cutting down the import of tyres from Japan he will interfere with the export of tyres to Britain? That is nonsense.
You cannot put levies or extra duties on tyres form Japan as distinct from tyres from any other third country.
Deputies
Of course you can.
Would the Minister agree that tyres from England are protected under the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement? Tyres from the EEC will, by virtue of the negotiations, be protected and the only thing we are concerned with are tyres from outside the six member countries of the EEC and the four applicant countries. They should be banned because they are all low cost countries.
This is the point.
This is the fact.
We have another tyre manufacturing factory called Semperit who export all their tyres; they are not allowed to sell tyres on the home market at all. I want to make sure that their exports of tyres are not interfered with by any action I take.
We cannot discuss this question all evening.
(Interruptions.)