I move:
That Dáil Éireann hereby approves of:
Control of Imports (Quota No. 53) (Miscellaneous Brushes) Order, 1966.
An explanatory memorandum has been circulated to Deputies giving particulars of the quota orders the approval of which I am moving.
The Free Trade Area Agreement between this country and the United Kingdom provides for the retention of quantitative restrictions on the importation of brushes, brooms and mops up to 30th June, 1975. The quota order which was in force up to 30th June, 1966, imposed restrictions on all such articles, without limit as to value, and licences were granted to importers on the basis of their purchases from Irish manufacturers. In practice an importer could purchase cheap brushes from an Irish manufacturer and on the basis of these purchases be entitled to a licence which he could use to import expensive brushes. The Government decided that this situation should not continue and agreement was reached with the British authorities on the institution of a new quota for brushes, brooms and mops costing less than 30/-per dozen, which would operate from 1st July, 1966. To give effect to the decision it was necessary to make a new quota order and to amend the existing quota order to exclude from its scope brushes, brooms and mops costing less than 30/- per doz.
Under the terms of the Free Trade Area Agreement, the Government was obliged to eliminate by 1st July, 1966, quantitative restrictions on the importation of stockings of silk or manmade fibres costing more than fifty shillings per dozen and originating in the United Kingdom. The Agreement provides for the retention of a quota on stockings which do not exceed 50/-per dozen pairs in value. With the agreement of the manufacturers, the Government decided to eliminate, globally, the quota on silk stockings costing more than 50/- per dozen pairs and it was necessary to amend the existing quota in order to exclude these articles from its scope.
The Government were also obliged by the Free Trade Area Agreement to eliminate quantitative restrictions on superphosphates of United Kingdom origin. The termination of this quota on a global basis was considered but it was decided that this would be detrimental to the interests of the Irish manufacturers and that the quota should be retained against third countries. It was necessary, consequently, to amend the existing quota order to confine the quota to superphosphates originating in countries other than the United Kingdom.