The Imposition of Duties (Confirmation of Orders) Bill has been received from the Dáil and circulated. This was anticipated to-day, but the House did not make an order at that stage to consider the Bill. Could we have a motion from Senator Crosbie now in that regard? Will he move that the House do now consider the Bill?
Imposition of Duties (Confirmation of Orders) (No. 2) Bill, 1954—Second and Subsequent Stages.
I move:—
That the House do now consider the Imposition of Duties (Confirmation or Orders) (No. 2) Bill, 1954.
Question put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
I am grateful to the Seanad for its kindness in agreeing to receive this Bill at such short notice. The Bill is the customary Bill for the purpose of giving legal effect to certain Orders imposing certain duties, Orders which must be confirmed within a certain period of time. The time has not yet expired, but if the Seanad and the Dáil were in Recess it would not be convenient to have the Bill passed in such circumstances. The Seanad is, therefore, being asked to do what it has kindly agreed to do, namely to take the Bill at short notice from the Dáil.
As I have said, this is the customary Bill to give effect to eight Orders which have been made under the Emergency Imposition of Duties Act, 1932. One of these Orders, entitled— Emergency Imposition of Duties (Finance Act, 1954) (Consequential Provisions) Order, 1954—provided for amendments in certain customs duties consequent on the termination of other customs duties in the Finance Act, 1954. These amendments did not impose any new duty provisions. They were necessary so as to prevent anomalies arising in duties which were related to the duties terminated in the Finance Act. The commodities covered by the remaining seven Orders are as follows:— (1) Drive screws and drive screw nails; (2) metal coffin mountings; (3) disinfectants, antiseptics, insecticides, verminicides, vermicides, fungicides and weedkillers; (4) fireside companion sets; (5) felt hats and caps for men or boys; (6) electric smoothing irons; (7) knitted woollen cardigans, pullovers, jerseys, blouses and similar articles.
The customs duties imposed on drive screws and drive screw nails and on fireside companion sets are new protective duties. The firm engaged in the manufacture of nails and screws extended its production to cover drive screws and applied for and was granted protection for this development. In the case of fireside companion sets, the production of these articles was undertaken for the first time and a very wide range of sets at reasonable prices was put on the market by the firm concerned.
In the case of metal coffin mountings, the Order extended the scope of the duty already in existence so as to include partly manufactured mountings and component parts of mountings. The object of this Order was to stop the practice which was developing of importing partly manufactured articles to the detriment of an existing firm which was carrying out the complete range of manufacturing operations.
The Order dealing with disinfectants, etc., provided for a customs duty on disinfectants, antiseptics, insecticides, verminicides, vermicides, fungicides, and weedkillers. These goods, other than antiseptics and weedkillers, had previously been subject to customs duty, but the duty was suspended in 1942 for supply reasons. Owing to difficulties of definition a number of items not being manufactured here became subject to duty under this Order and, following consultation with the Irish manufactures and with the Department of Agriculture, arrangements were made for the issue of duty-free licences for articles which the Irish manufacturers are unable to supply or for which suitable substitutes are not available from home sources.
The Order dealing with felt hats and caps for men and boys provided for an increase in the minimum rates of duty already chargeable on these articles, as the existing rate of duty had proved ineffective in protecting the Irish factories against imports of cheap hats.
In the case of electric smoothing irons, the customs duty already in existence covered irons up to 7 lb. in weight. The present Order increased the dutiable weight limit from 7 lb. to 8 lb. The reason for this was that certain importers were evading the duty by bringing in irons weighing slightly over 7 lb.
The Order dealing with knitted woollen cardigans, pullovers, jerseys, blouses and similar articles provided for an increase in the customs duty already chargeable on those articles. The Order was made following a review of the operation of the customs duty and of the quantitative restrictions on the importation of the articles, carried out by the Industrial Development Authority under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement.
As I explained at the outset, this is the customary Bill for the purpose of confirming the Orders which are set out in the explanatory memorandum, and I hope that the Seanad will see its way to facilitate its passage this evening.
The Minister, in his introductory statement, has pointed out the urgency of this measure. It is because of that urgency, and of the fact that this House will now be adjourning for some considerable time, that we agreed to take this Bill to-night. At the same time, I think it is only right that we should protest against the bringing in of a Bill of this nature at such short notice. As the Minister has explained, this Bill is, if you like, a hardy annual, but at the same time we must remember that it covers no less than eight Orders which have been made relating to the imposition of certain duties.
If this House is to fulfil the purpose for which it was established, I think it is only right that the members should have the opportunity of giving serious consideration to any measure which comes before them, and particular measures of this kind. This Bill has come before us at very short notice. That is a practice that we should not be prepared to set up as a precedent. The only reason why we are prepared to give the Minister all stages of the Bill to-night is because of the wide range it covers, and because it is essential that the duties imposed under it may be continued to help and to facilitate the industries concerned. I should like to remind the Minister and the Government of not leaving measures of this kind—I am afraid it has been a practice now for quite a long time—over for an occasion like this when neither this House nor the other House, because of the circumstances, has an opportunity of giving them the consideration which they should receive and, particularly, the consideration which they should receive from this House.
Up to a point one might, perhaps, agree with Senator Hawkins were it not for two facts. The first is the importance of this Bill, which is an annual Bill, as well as the importance of keeping the wheels of Irish industry turning smoothly. Secondly, the Senator appears to be slightly misinformed. While this Bill is urgent, it is not absolutely so urgent that all stages of it must be passed to-night. We are relying on the goodwill of the House to accept the Bill and pass it to-night, but it is not absolutely vital. If we do not deal with it to-night it will entail a meeting of this House early in the new year.
I would like to ask that the Bill be passed through all stages, because there may not be any particular business for us to do here in the first week in January and I know that Senators would not like to have the House called for a formal matter like that.
That question does not arise at this stage. The Minister, to conclude.
The only point raised was that by Senator Hawkins. I do not think he gave me sufficient credit for being concerned with the well-being and comfort of Senators. Although I asked for all stages to-night, it is sufficient for my purpose if I get the Bill by the 14th January. I do not want all stages to-night and it is sufficient for me to put it into the Seanad later and ask the Seanad to meet next week. It is sufficient also if I get the Bill by the 14th of May, which is the last day on which the Orders expire. I did not wish to ask the Seanad to meet next week or bring the House back in the first or second week of January and I took the course of asking the Seanad with due humility if all stages could be passed to-night, as it is a very formal Bill. It is a money Bill, a Bill which is giving effect to Orders some of which have been running for some time. In asking the Seanad to pass it to-night, I was really having some regard for the well-being of members of this House, in not asking them to meet on these awkward occasions. I do not want to press for all stages to-night, if the Seanad does not wish. There is plenty of time to deal with the matter, but the time probably would not be more convenient. I do not mind that as far as I am concerned personally, as it will do me on the 14th of January.
Question put and agreed to.
Agreed to take the remaining stages now.
Bill passed through Committee, reported without amendment, received for final consideration, and ordered to be returned to the Dáil.