asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism if he will outline the regulations which operate to monitor the purchase of grocery goods outside the State for importation into this country; if he has satisfied himself with the adequacy of the existing provisions and if these are being fully implemented.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grocery Imports.
6.
The only regulation of the type mentioned by the Deputy that I am aware of is Article 8 of the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order, 1973. This provision requires wholesalers or retailers to furnish to the Examiner of Restrictive Practices a statement of the terms and conditions on which goods were purchased abroad and imported for sale in this country. The monitoring of the operation of the provision is a matter for the Examiner of Restrictive Practices, from whom I understand that the provision is not being observed. One of the reasons for the inclusion of this provision is not being observed. One of the reasons for the inclusion of this provision in the order was that it was considered that the order would otherwise adversely discriminate against Irish suppliers who were required to furnish the examiner with a statement of their terms and conditions of supply. However, under the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order, 1978 this requirement on Irish suppliers was amended and the relevant provision now is that a statement of terms and conditions need only be furnished at the request of the examiner.
The question of the effectiveness of this provision, and indeed other provisions of restrictive practices grocery legislation, is at present the subject of discussion with various interests in the distributive sector. Any further action on them must await the outcome of these discussions.
In regard to imports of food, is it the position that a company must furnish information to the Department the first time food is imported but subsequent purchases need not be notified? If that is the position, is the Minister satisfied?
The theoretical position is that all such imports have to be notified, not to my Department but to the Examiner of Restrictive Practices who is independent of my Department in the exercise of his functions. I understand from the examiner that he does not, in fact, obtain this information and the question of whether this provision in the 1973 order, which I understand has never been enforced, should be continued is under consideration at the moment in the context of the discussions to which I referred in my reply.
Is the Minister concerned that the examiner is not being supplied with this information?
The examiner is the best judge of that.
The basic responsibility rests on the Minister, not on the examiner. Is the Minister concerned?
That question should be examined in the broader context of the whole review of these grocery orders.
Is the Minister in a position to state when he expects this review to be completed?
Perhaps within two or three months. It depends to some extent on input from other parties.
Is the Minister aware that in one case a company who gave undertakings that they would purchase all their goods here, including goods for their stores outside this country, have now reversed that decision and are importing foodstuffs which are available here?
We cannot go into individual cases.
I am asking whether the Minister is aware of this.
For obvious reasons, no company at any time gave an undertaking that they would buy all their foodstuff in Ireland.
Even when it is available here?
By and large most of the multiples, though not all, are reasonably good supporters of Irish products.
I am calling Question No. 7. I said at the outset that I would facilitate those Deputies who are anxious to get answers to their questions today and we cannot allow certain Deputies to monopolise Question Time.
I would ask whether the Minister is concerned about the increased importation of food by multinationals.
There is not a great deal of evidence of that in terms of substitutable imports. The figures were given yesterday by the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the increase is quite low.
It is enormous.
From the information given, the increase would appear to relate for the most part to non-substitutable or non-competing imports and I would regard that as satisfactory.