asked the Minister for Agriculture whether a circular letter from Lieutenant-General M. J. Costello, General Manager of the Irish Sugar Company, was received in his Department last May in which it was stated that the company was perturbed to find that lorry loads of sugar are available to smugglers or would-be smugglers across the Six-County border; if he will state what action, if any, was taken by him to verify the accuracy of this report; and what other action was taken.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Sugar Smuggling.
19.
I presume the Deputy is referring to a circular letter issued by the Sugar Company to its customers on 21st May, 1963, a copy of which was furnished to my Department.
The export of sugar has been prohibited, save under licence, for a number of years past, and the normal machinery of the State for the prevention of illegal exports is continuously in operation.
The distribution of sugar is, of course, essentially a matter for the company and I understand that among the precautions taken by the company in this regard during 1963 was the introduction of an arrangement whereby customers' purchases were restricted to the level of their purchases in the previous year.
The reference the Minister has made to a letter is not accurate. Is it not a fact that this letter from the Sugar Company was an urgent and confidential one in which certain charges were made and certain representations put forward to the Government, one of which was to urge the Government to stop the export of sugar in certain circumstances? Did the Government take any action as a result of that urgent letter?
As I told the Deputy, the export of sugar has been prohibited for many years. Steps were taken by the Departments concerned to see that policy was carried out. That has been done.
Is the Minister aware, in his capacity as Minister for Finance and not as acting Minister for Agriculture, that certain people have been trying to smuggle sugar across the Border? Is he aware of the identity of those people and where they got the sugar?
The Minister for Agriculture made that statement?
You made it as Minister for Finance. As Minister for Finance, you said an attempt had been made to smuggle sugar. Is the Minister aware of the people concerned and does he know where they got the sugar?
I came across only one case. The person was held up. He had about one ton of sugar and evidently he intended to export it illegally. He is being dealt with.