asked the Minister for Supplies whether he is aware that a very considerable amount of hardship has been caused by the requirements that clothing coupons must be presented for garments ordered or bespoken before the 9th June, 1942, but delivery of which was not effected before that date, and whether he is aware that this hardship is particularly felt by poorer people who, instead of getting credit, very often have to make partial prepayments on articles ordered or bespoken; and if he will state whether he is prepared to permit now of the delivery without coupons of such articles ordered or bespoken before the 9th June, 1942.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clothes Rationing.
I am not prepared to agree that articles of clothing ordered or bespoken before the 9th June, 1942, may be delivered without the surrender of coupons. The question whether or not a lesser concession can be allowed in the cases of orders placed before rationing has been under examination and I hope to be able to make an announcement on the subject in the course of a few days.
Will the Minister say if he is aware that in parts of the city workers very often go to drapers' shops and deposit money by way of gradual instalments, not taking the goods from the shop until the full amount is paid, and will he consider the hardship involved in cases like that in which people who have made deposits are now forced to surrender coupons while their requirements may be such that the present coupon allowance is not sufficient?
I do not agree that any hardship would be imposed. The purpose of rationing was to reduce the consumption of clothing, and persons circumstanced as the Deputy has described are in the same position as anybody else, in so far as they get delivery of a new suit of clothes this year, and will not be able to purchase another suit until the next rationing period. It may be that for other reasons some lesser concession will have to be given in respect of clothing ordered prior to the introduction of rationing, but I could not agree that it is a hardship in the cases that the Deputy mentioned.
Does the Minister realise that this is ante-dating the introduction of coupons for certain classes of people who, because of their circumstances, are least able to bear the imposition, because they have not a stock of clothes laid in?
Would not the concession which the Deputy advocates be also enjoyed by people who had ordered half a dozen suits before the introduction of rationing?
Cannot the Minister deal with the cases of people who have had to deposit money under the "bespoken" system which obtains?
I do not think that the Deputy made a case for that. He has not shown that the fact that these people have to surrender coupons for the garment, when delivered to them, is a hardship on them any more than it is a hardship on the person who ordered a suit after the introduction of rationing.
Does the Minister deny that there is in the City of Dublin a system by which members of the working classes make deposit-payments and bespeak garments which they do not get until all the purchase money is paid?
I do not deny that.
The Minister thinks that these people are not suffering any hardship?
No more than the person who goes into a shop now and buys a garment.
Is not this ante-dating the effect of the coupon arrangement?
Nevertheless, in each of these cases, the person concerned will have a new suit.