Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Friday, 26 Mar 1926

Vol. 14 No. 19

HOME-GROWN TOBACCO DUTIES.

Mr. ESMONDE

I move:—

"That the Final Report of the Special Committee on Home-grown Tobacco Duties be laid on the Table of the Dáil; and that the Report, Minutes of Evidence and Proceedings of the Committee be printed."

The time at the disposal of the Committee was very short, and it was not possible to have the findings of the Committee ready for circulation this morning. The Committee has arrived at certain unanimous recommendations, and unless it is possible for the Minister for Finance to come to a decision immediately on this matter, it will be too late for the tobacco growers to decide whether they will grow any tobacco this year or not. I do not know what procedure should be adopted to get over that difficulty.

Mr. M. DOYLE

I desire to emphasise Deputy Esmonde's remarks relative to the futility of the report, if the decision of the Minister is not known immediately. Next week it will be too late for this season's tobacco seeds to be planted, and if this decision is not made known for or against our recommendations tobacco will cease to be grown this year. If the Minister adopts our recommendations tobacco-growing will be continued. The seeds must be sown next week, or the following week at the latest, as tobacco cannot be grown unless the seed is sown before the end of March. Is it possible for the Minister or the Executive Council to make known their decision on this report at once?

Mr. MULVANY

I would like to draw the attention of the Minister and the House to the fact that this Special Committee was representative of the whole House and that our decisions were unanimous. When my amendment to the Finance Bill was being discussed last June, the Minister for Finance gave an assurance that before this year's seeds would be sown he would be in a position to say whether tobacco growing was to be continued or not. Taking into account the fact that we have arrived at unanimous decisions and also that after next week it will be too late for sowing the seeds, I think it would be only fair that growers should know now the position in which they stand. This affects about 200 growers at least, and it is only fair that they should know now whether they are to sow the seeds or not.

Mr. BLYTHE

I will read the report and the evidence immediately, and I will consult with the Minister for Agriculture, and have the matter considered by the Executive Council. My recollection of what I said is that the Committee would be constituted in sufficient time in advance of this year's Budget in order to enable its recommendations to be acted upon, assuming that the Government accepted them. I do not remember saying that a decision would be come to in advance of the time when the seeds would be sown.

Mr. COLE

Would the Minister refer to the report, in which he said: "Before the next Budget comes along, and even before the question of sowing the seed is determined, I would be prepared to move for the appointment of a Select Committee of the House, with power to call for witnesses and documents, to go into the whole question thoroughly, have it completely thrashed out, and let us see what all the facts are."

Mr. BLYTHE

I moved for the Special Committee all right.

Mr. M. DOYLE

If some decision is not made immediately tobacco-growing will cease this year.

Mr. BLYTHE

I promise to consider the report as promptly as possible and to get the advice of the Minister for Agriculture.

Mr. M. DOYLE

Would the Minister undertake to notify to the growers, or some one of the growers, any decision which is arrived at?

Mr. BLYTHE

If the decision is of such a character that it can be announced I will try to do so.

Mr. MULVANY

I would ask the Minister to communicate with Mr. Keelan, the Secretary of the Meath Tobacco Growers' Association.

Mr. HEWAT

Could the Minister, or the Executive Council, come to a decision on this matter without the authority of the Dáil?

Mr. BLYTHE

We could not come to a final decision. We could only say what we would recommend to the Dáil.

Ordered: That the Final Report of the Special Committee on Home-grown Tobacco Duties be laid on the Table of the Dáil; and that the report and minutes of evidence and proceedings of the Committee be printed.