Vol. 277 No. 12
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, arising out of proposed discussions with EEC representatives, he will indicate whether any arrangements have been made or will shortly be made to deal with dumping affecting the textile trade and especially the shirt manufacturing factories in County Donegal.
49.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when a report is expected from An Coimisiún Dumpála concerning the inquiry into allegation of the dumping of textiles, clothing, and footwear from Far Eastern countries and from Eastern European countries.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 49 together.
An Coimisiún Dumpála announced on 10th January that they had initiated an investigation into the alleged dumping of footwear, textiles and clothing products including shirts originating in certain low-cost countries and invited representations from interested parties.
In view of the scope of these investigations, I am informed that some time may elapse before the report of An Coimisiún Dumpála can be presented. I am assured, however, that the matter will be brought to a conclusion as soon as possible.
Would the Minister agree that An Coimisiún Dumpála should have begun their investigations some months ago?
The matter is not as simple as that. We were faced with the real alternative that if An Coimisiún Dumpála find there is no dumping, the final position is worse than when we started. In invoking this mechanism one takes a very real risk because the Deputy will be aware that though it is very unsatisfactory, dumping in its formal sense is very difficult to prove, especially in the case of goods coming from extremely low-cost areas. The decision to invoke the mechanism of An Coimisiún Dumpála is not automatic.
Would the Minister agree that the decision has been made to investigate allegations of dumping? Would he not agree that this matter was raised on numerous occasions from this side of the House over a considerable number of months? If it is found that dumping has been taking place, would he not agree that it would equally have been found that dumping was taking place if the investigation had been carried out some months ago and the jobs of very many people would have been saved in the meantime?
That is a hypothetical question with words like "a considerable number of months" and "very many people". It is a question with such lack of precision and so hypothetical that it does not call for an answer.
Might I further ask the Minister if he will agree that this matter was raised on numerous occasions here and that it was clearly shown that there was a grave danger that dumping was taking place? Why has this decision only been taken now, a decision that should have been taken months ago and so would have saved the employment of many workers in these industries?
Is the Minister aware that at Alexandra Quay very many containers of cheap shirts are landed at five shillings per shirt? It should not take An Coimisiúin Dumpála or the Minister very long to find that out. While the Minister has been fiddling around with this problem is he aware that the country is being flooded with this type of textile goods? Will he go down himself and do what I did? I found that this was the position—container after container landing shirts at five shillings each.
I am in the difficulty that when Deputies ask questions that are argumentative and that contain imprecision such as "very many containers" and "this type of textile goods" in a totally undefined way, a satisfactory answer is difficult.
It is very definite. Two allegations.
If the Deputy has evidence that can prove something quickly he should have given it to me in the past. I am happy to get it now and I will see that it is passed to the commission instantly. The Deputy must recognise that we are not in circumstances where unilateral actions in these areas are helpful or productive of anything except chaos and mess and trouble.
I have given the Minister the information I have. Will the Minister ask the customs section of the Department of Finance who have people employed at Alexandra Quay and who are dealing with the matters I have discussed about this or will he ask the Minister for Finance to inquire whether what I say is true or false?
I will be perfectly happy to do that.
Question No. 50.
If the Minister discovers that what I have said is true will he take any action whatever at any time or will he take immediate action to remedy the situation? This matter affects my constituency and is the Minister aware that just across the Border in Derry city the authorities in the North have taken very effective action by giving a subsidy of over a million pounds to the shirt factories there?
The Deputy is giving information at this stage.
And our Minister, four miles from Derry city, has done sweet nothing to help the shirt industry.
50.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has been able to negotiate any arrangements for the restriction of imports of textiles and footwear from certain countries outside and inside the EEC.
51.
andMr. Leonard asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with the EEC Commission in Brussels on the importation into Ireland of clothing, textiles and footwear from low-cost countries.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together.
I would refer the Deputies to my reply to previous questions on this matter on 16th January, in which I outlined certain measures that had already been taken in relation to imports of textiles, clothing and footwear.
The further consultations with the EEC Commission which I referred to in that reply are still in progress.
Is the Minister aware that the task force that was over here to look at the footwear and textile industries did not give any hope to the various firms they visited and that they have now made a submission which has been reported on radio, television and in the Press that nothing will be done for us?
The Deputy is giving information.
Has the Minister got any plans now to protect those vital industries? I come from a constituency where we have textile and footwear——
The Deputy is making a statement, not asking a question.
In view of the fact that the Commission will not do anything about it I would like to know what steps the Minister intends to take.
The steps already taken were set out in answer to a question on 16th January with which the Deputy does not appear to be familiar. Other steps which are in course of discussion I am not in a position to indicate at this time.
The steps mentioned by the Minister are relatively simple ones that might have been taken long ago. Again I am sorry for being so imprecise but the Minister is well aware that this matter has been a problem for several months. May I again ask the Minister a supplementary which I asked him on a previous occasion? Is it a fact that the Commission informed the Minister that this Government and the Minister himself could deal with imports from low-cost countries outside the EEC?
Before the Minister answers that question——
It is a clear answer so let us not confuse it with anything else. The answer is "no".
Did the Commission suggest to the Minister that this Government and he, as Minister, should deal with this matter, for example, with the United Kingdom, with imports of low-cost goods coming from countries outside the EEC to the United Kingdom and from the United Kingdom to this country?
The situation in the United Kingdom is one of a number of related problems. The Commission offered its good offices to initiate contacts with the United Kingdom which they did and which we are continuing but which have not been brought to completion.
Has the Minister any idea as to when they are likely to come to fruition?
I can say that on next Monday and Tuesday in Brussels I will be having meetings at a high level about it. Commissioner Gundelach was himself in London ten days ago about them and it is really a matter of how rapidly and how much the British will move. The position has been made clear both by us and by the Commission. It is, I think, very much the Commission's opinion, and it is correct, that in contacts between member states on all issues like this the original contact is made through the Commission and not unilaterally. That is a very strongly held Commission opinion to which we acceded.
The Minister will accept that this situation is very serious?
Yes.
May I suggest that he should give favourable consideration to contacting wholesalers and retailers to see if he could get them to agree to impose a quota on themselves in relation to imports from low cost countries? I know this would be very difficult on which to get agreement but if he could do it it would be helpful.
This is something that could have no legal validity and would have to be voluntary.
I accept that.
When what we are calling the Buy Irish Committee—I do not know their correct name—were set up by me at their first meeting, when we discussed the direction of work, this was one of the matters they were seised of and I hope they will advise me soon as to machanisms where it can be arranged to do that voluntarily. It is a good suggestion and it is in hands.
Will the Minister agree that the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement, which was in being before our accession to the EEC, has a provision whereby if imports at any time are adversely affecting production here we can take action to prevent their importation? Do our terms of accession not permit us to operate that provision?
I cannot say with certainly that the Deputy is right. I think he is right and I hope he is right but there is some to-ing and fro-ing about the interpretation of it. I hope the Deputy is right and I hope we can use that mechanism. We are trying to do so.
