asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the names of the firms which received an allocation from Quota No. 51 of 1975; the percentage of the quota which each firm received; and the number of employees of each such firm.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Quota Allocations.
18.
It is a long-standing practice that all information about the affairs of individual firms including details of licences issued by my Department are regarded as confidential.
Is the Minister aware of the growing feeling in relation to the limited importation that is allowed under Quota No. 51 that the quotas are given to selected people? Does he not feel that in the circumstances it might be as well to publish the list by means of a circulated reply similar to what we normally have in order to set minds at rest as to the manner in which the quotas are allocated? I do not want to suggest that there is anything improper in the manner in which they are allocated but it would be better if they could be published so that it could be seen that it is properly constituted firms that get such a quota. This is very important because there is a feeling that firms that are not qualified for such quotas get them. I would ask the Minister to review the matter.
Subscribers to party funds.
I think the point Deputy Lalor makes is real notwithstanding the interjection of Deputy Crinion which shows an extraordinary insensitivity to the interests of his own party because it is not an area that would stand much scrutiny from their point of view and Deputy Crinion should be quiet about it.
The Minister is doing exactly what he is criticising the Deputy for doing.
That is where the interjection came from, not from me.
But you are flinging it back.
If you do not like answers like that you should discipline your own people.
I am not worried about disciplining our people——
You ought to be.
They are disciplined in this country: we do not have to take orders from Moscow.
I want to reply to the supplementary question. I think Deputy Lalor raised a real issue which I shall certainly look at. We changed the method of allocation——
I bet you have.
That is not worthy of the Deputy. He can do much better than that.
Much better than that.
We are waiting for it.
(Interruptions.)
Let us get back to the subject matter of the question.
I shall certainly look into the point raised by Deputy Lalor and if I think it would allay public fears by publishing it I shall be happy to do it.