asked the Minister for Finance if he is considering the reduction of 20 per cent in customs duties in order to reduce inflation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Customs Duties.
126.
Presumably the Deputy is referring to recent proposals by the Commission of the European Communities for tariff reductions as part of a series of measures to help control inflation.
These proposals have not been adopted by the Council. The position of the Irish Government is that they do not favour such tariff reductions on the grounds that we are already committed to substantial tariff reductions in the context of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement and of membership of the Community and that additional reductions on the lines proposed would have a negligible impact on the inflationary situation with which we have to deal.
In view of the Minister's stated concern regarding inflationary matters can he indicate what steps he is proposing to take other than the removal of VAT from food to reduce inflation?
The Deputy must be aware that his supplementary is far beyond the ambit of his original question. His original question related to the reducing of customs duty.