I move:—
That Seanad Eireann hereby approves of the Sugar (Prohibition of Import) Order, 1939.
Sugar (Prohibition of Import) Order—Motion of Approval.
As Senators are, I think, aware, the Sugar (Control of Imports) Act, 1936, empowers the Government, by order, to prohibit the importation of sugar, save under licence issued by the Minister for Industry and Commerce. It provides further that licences may not be issued except to Comhlucht Siuicre Eireann Teo. The purpose of these Orders was explained when the Bill was before the Oireachtas. In the normal year, the company which is engaged in producing sugar here produces about 80 per cent. of our requirement of sugar, and only about 20 per cent. has to be imported. It was found most convenient, from the point of view of the wholesale distributors of sugar as well as the point of view of the retail distributors and the consumers, that the whole of our requirements of sugar should be handled through the one organisation, and, consequently, the Order which was made in the first year has been renewed every year confining the power to import sugar to the Irish Sugar Company. The imported sugar is sold at the same price and under the same conditions to the wholesale distributors as the sugar produced by the company. The company makes no profit on the imported sugar, and various arrangements have been made to deal with any profit that might arise. It will be appreciated that a small profit might arise from time to time by reason of temporary fluctuations in the price of sugar which could not possibly be reflected in the retail price, and if such profit does arise, it is either used for the purpose of lowering the general all-round price of sugar, or is secured for the Exchequer by means of a licence fee.
Question put and agreed to.