asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if the price at which the fertiliser urea is imported into this country is a dumped price; and, if so, what steps he is taking to prevent its importation.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Fertiliser Prices.
30.
The question of whether goods are being imported into this country at dumped prices, to the detriment of a home industry, is one for An Coimisiúin Dumpála which was set up under the Imposition of Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1968, to investigate complaints of dumping. The Act provides that anti-dumping duties may be imposed by the Government, if the commission, following an investigation of a complaint, so recommends.
In 1971, the commission recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duties on urea from Portugal, Romania and Poland and these duties were imposed, by Government order, on 6th April, 1971.
If any manufacturer has evidence that urea is being dumped into this country during the current season and that the dumping is causing material injury to the Irish industry, the manufacturer should take the matter up with An Coimisiún Dumpála.
Has the commission received any such representation from any manufacturer?
I am not aware of such representation having been made to the commission.
Does the Minister not know that last week there was a strike on the docks in Cork because it was alleged by the picketers that urea being imported from Ethiopia was being dumped? It seems that nobody was sure whether it was being dumped or not. The port was held up for three days because of this without anybody having any information about it. Is it not the Minister's job to find out these things and to impose duties rather than leaving it to either a union or a manufacturer to do it?
This is what the Imposition of Duties Act, 1968, was all about. By the setting up of An Coimisiúin Dumpála there was effective machinery provided which the manufacturer could use to combat dumping.
Does the Minister know that large consignments of fertiliser are being imported from Poland and that there is grave concern in fertiliser factories like Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta and——
Gouldings.
——Albatros? Would the Minister be able to tell us what the position would be with regard to the subsidy on fertilisers in this country if Ireland became a full member of the EEC?
That is a separate question.
I would not have details of the subsidisation of fertilisers for export.
One would imagine that if the Government are trying to sell the idea of full membership of EEC they would have regard to the jobs of workers in fertiliser factories.
Agreed.
But the Minister said he knew nothing about it.
I said I would not have the information on that.
But the whole question is about dumping and there is grave concern.
Deputy Corish asked whether I was aware that there was an increasing amount of Polish fertiliser being imported. In the year 1970-71 there was 28,000 tons of urea imported of which 5,000 tons came from Poland. Fourteen thousand tons was imported from Great Britain and there was no question of there being dumping in that regard.
Although Albatros have 150,000 tons stockpiled which they cannot sell.
Question No. 31.
We exported CCF, to Great Britain last year.
Why did you?
Because it was manufactured. We were competitive.
I have indicated that the commission, arising from allegations of dumping made previously, made a recommendation to me arising from which I made an order in April, 1971, imposing protective duties on the importation of——
But not blanket protection, specific protection.
Is it the case that no complaints have been made about dumping of this fertiliser this year?
No complaints have been made officially to An Coimisiúin Dumpála.
Of course, they have. The transport union did it a few weeks ago.
No official complaints. Complaints appear in the paper but I am talking about complaints to An Coimisiúin Dumpála.
The commission can accept complaints from either a trade union or a manufacturer?
Yes.
Deputy Corish has said that the Irish Transport and General Workers Union have made a complaint.
They kicked up holy hell.
They have not used the channels. Certainly An Coimisiúin Dumpála has had no official complaint.
Could we move on to Question No. 31?
Have An Coimisiúin Dumpála done anything about it?
They cannot do anything about something that was not drawn to their attention.
Does the Minister not agree that the control of dumping into this country is done by a most clumsy method? Everything imported here must have a document attached to it. Surely the Department of Industry and Commerce can tell whether it is a dumped price or not and stop it before it comes in and not have the row afterwards when it is in. It must be in the country before either a manufacturer or a union can make a complaint because they do not know, particularly the unions, whether it is dumped or not until it is for sale. The Department should take the initiative in stopping this and not leave it to manufacturers and unions.
It was because of this situation that my predecessor created An Coimisiúin Dumpála to deal objectively with this problem.
(Interruptions.)
Order. Does Deputy Keating wish to put a final supplementary?
Would the Minister not agree that, if we become a member of the EEC, which has free movement of goods through a market of ten countries—it would then be with a quarter of a billion people—the danger of dumping would be very much greater? Would he not agree that the mechanism which exists which can only be put into operation once dumping has occurred is altogether inadequate to preserve jobs in the Irish fertiliser industry and indeed in many other industries? Is the existing situation not proof that the dumping protection needs to be very greatly strengthened if anyone is contemplating entering EEC?
We must establish first of all that there is dumping.
Should the Minister not be doing that and not waiting until it happens?
We cannot anticipate dumping.
Everything imported here has a document with the price on it which goes to the Department.
We cannot have a debate on this. Question No. 31.