asked the Minister for Finance if he will give an assurance that Christmas presents for relations will not be seized by the customs authorities from Irish emigrants returning home for Christmas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Christmas Presents: Seizure by Customs Authorities.
17.
As the answer includes a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Surely not?
It is rather complicated, but I shall read it. Tobacco, wines and spirits—no gift concession. Other goods: Up to a total value of £5 may be imported duty free by visitors from European countries; and up to a total value of £20 per adult and £5 per child by visitors from other countries.
Following is the statement:
Provided that the articles are duly declared to the Customs, visitors may import duty-free in their baggage gifts of dutiable goods within the following limits:—
|
Type of Goods |
Visitors from European Countries |
Visitors from other Countries |
|
|
(a) Tobacco, Wines and Spirits* |
No gift concession |
No gift concession |
|
|
(b) Other goods |
Up to a total value of £5 |
Up to a total value of— |
|
|
per adult |
£20 |
||
|
per child |
£5 |
*Certain quantities of tobacco, wines and spirits are admitted free of duty in baggage for personal use but these commodities may not be imported duty-free as gifts.
These concessions do not apply to persons returning from day-trips to the Six Counties or where persons make frequent short visits to or from the Six Counties.
The total abolition of duty on Christmas presents imported by visitors would not be practicable.
18.
asked the Minister for Finance what steps are being taken to ensure that Christmas gifts posted by Irish emigrants in Britain and elsewhere to their relatives at home will not be subjected to customs duty as in previous years.
As the answer includes a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
Bona fide gift parcels are admitted free of duty within the following limits subject to the Customs being satisfied:
|
Type of Goods |
Consigned from European Countries |
Consigned from other Countries |
|
(a) Tobacco, intoxicating liquors, perfumed spirits and watches. |
No concession |
No concession |
|
(b) Used Clothing |
Up to £5 in value |
Up to £5 in value |
|
(c) Other goods |
Up to £2 in value* |
Up to £5 in value |
*New clothing from Great Britain or the Six Counties is excluded from the scope of this concession.
The total abolition of duty in respect of Christmas gift parcels would not be practicable.
How in the name of Providence can No. 18 be answered by a tabular statement?
The wrong number is on the brief.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, might I ask him to look at the text of Question 18 and tell us how it could be answered by a tabular statement?
I am giving the present position in the tabular statement.
There is a definite question to be answered.
The Question asked was:
"What steps are being taken to ensure that the Christmas gifts posted by Irish emigrants in Britain and elsewhere to their relatives at home will not be subjected to customs duty as in previous years?"
I am giving the present position with regard to those gifts.
I do not want to embarrass the Minister but we are all agreed that, subject to your discretion, Sir, certain questions may properly be answered by a tabular statement. But may I suggest that this is carrying the principle a little far? When the Minister in reply to this Question—which asks "What steps are being taken to ensure that Christmas gifts posted by Irish emigrants in Britain and elsewhere to their relatives at home will not be subjected to customs duty as in previous years?"—says he proposes, with your permission, to furnish a tabular statement, I respectively submit, Sir, that you should withhold your permission.
I have not any discretion as to the form in which a Minister answers a Question.
You have, of course. He says "subject to your permission."
Subject to my permission, it is published in the Official Report.
I shall put it this way: in this special case, would you be kind enough to ask the Minister to read the answer as we feel supplementary questions might with benefit be addressed to him, if we heard his reply?
Again, the answer is a rather involved tabular statement, but it is not very long. I am quite sure no Deputy will understand it until he sees the tabular statement.
Give us a chance.
Tobacco, intoxicating liquors, perfumed spirits and watches —no concession; used clothing, up to £5 in value; other goods, from European countries, up to £2 in value; from other countries, up to £5 in value.
The reply the Minister has just read is the reply he read for No. 17. This is No. 18.
It is not the same reply exactly.
Might I ask the Minister could we safely assume that presents coming from the United States to relatives in Ireland, provided they are of a declared value of less than £5, will be passed by the customs authorities? Is the Minister aware that, even if that concession was in operation in previous years, the people believe the experience has been that a great many parcels were so stopped? May we assume in future that any parcels of a declared value of less than £5, outside the spirit, tobacco and wine categories, will be passed through as Christmas gifts?
In reply to Deputy Esmonde, Question No. 17 applies to emigrants coming back here, but this question applies to gifts being sent home. There is a difference.
It is the same answer for both questions.
As regards Deputy Dillon's supplementary, it has been the law for some time that a gift coming from a country outside Europe under £5 valuation should be allowed in free.
Has the Minister himself not heard a good many complaints——
Yes.
——that at Christmas time presents of a lesser value than £5 have been held up and that Package Act and other similar claims had to be met before they were released? May we assume that will not be the case in future?
On investigation, some of the parcels contained a lot more than was alleged.
Is it the position that the Minister is not prepared to allow in duty free the ordinary emigrants' new clothing but he is prepared to allow in their new pound notes duty free?