I move: That the Dáil do not agree with the Committee on Resolution No. 11.
Financial Resolutions (1941-42)—Report (Resumed). - Resolution No. 11—Customs Duty on Daily Newspapers.
Why are we not agreeing?
I went into the figures that were supplied to me by the wholesale agents and distributors in Dublin, and I found that, arising probably out of transport difficulties to some extent and out of the tax already imposed on those imported daily newspapers, the trade had already gone down 60 per cent. The case was made to me, and I accepted it as a convincing one, that if I insisted on this tax it would probably wipe out the balance of the trade. The figures, shown to me by reliable, trustworthy people, showed that 60 per cent. of the trade had gone, and I thought it was not wise that I should insist on this tax and wipe out the balance of the trade.
Is there a suggestion that the 60 per cent. fall was due to the existing tax?
Partly, they said, but a good deal of it was due to the present emergency and the difficulties of transport. The tax did bring about a reduction, but they could not give me an indication as to how much it did reduce their trade. The reduction was due to the tax, plus the present transport difficulties.
Am I to understand that there will still remain the two-thirds of a penny on imported newspapers and that the exemptions will continue to apply to newspapers where the number imported is less than 1,000?
The present exemptions will continue.
In the table explanatory of the Budget it was estimated that £143,000 would be brought in by taxes on newspapers and periodicals. Can the Minister divide that as between Financial Resolution No. 11 and Financial Resolution No. 12? I take it the amount expected on both is £143,000?
No. On Resolution No. 11 it was estimated that the increase would bring in £2,000 this year, and £2,500 in the full year. On Resolution No. 12, we estimated £6,000 this year or £7,000 in the full year. We expect £135,000 in the case of Resolution No. 13.
The position now is that instead of £2,000 you will not get anything?
If we continued the tax we would get nothing.
Nice estimating !
Certain papers that are printed outside the State, and that are in circulation inside the State, can be sold at a price less than those printed inside the State?
Yes, the Derry Journal, for instance.
That was one paper I had in mind. That is deliberately being done. Apart from this subvention of the Derry Journal, it gets Government advertisements which are refused to papers printed inside the State.
I am not aware that that is so.
I can give the Minister details.
They did not get them from your Ministry.
They did not get what?
You had notes on your files not to give advertisements to certain papers—the Derry Journal, for instance.
Possibly I had, but was that due to the fact that the paper was printed outside the State? I have a copy of it here, and I observe that, side by side with a Government advertisement, there is a notice of a proclamation of a Minister in Northern Ireland proclaiming any sort of festivity to mark the anniversary of Easter Week. The Deputy would also approve of that, I am sure. The columns which carry our Government's advertisements also carry this proclamation, and, of course, the columns of the Derry Journal also carry advertisements issued by the Government of Northern Ireland.
Was that a paid advertisement, too?
Yes. The columns of the Derry Journal also carry statements quite out of keeping with the neutral position we occupy, such as asking the people to be on their toes, to be alert and vigilant in respect to all sorts of things that might happen in war time. Apparently there is nothing incongruous about our Government giving advertisements to a paper which is printed outside this country and which carries advertisements that a paper in a neutral country would not be allowed to publish. I do not know if the Deputy has taken that into consideration. I should like to know if this discrimination is made deliberately in favour of the Derry Journal and against other papers known not to share the Government’s views. I suggest there is no reason for the discrimination except that. The Minister knows that the Derry Journal was allowed to escape when taxes were imposed on papers published outside the State.
I was not aware of that.
This paper, because it is published three times a week, is allowed to escape. Will the Minister look into the matter and consider whether it would not be advisable to equalise conditions?
I would be glad to, if I thought we could get any tax revenue out of it.
I suggest that there is something to be got out of it. A paper published inside the State, no matter what its political views, should be allowed to circulate here on the same terms in regard to its sale as papers published outside. I suggest that the matter should be closely examined.
Question put and agreed to.