asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make a statement about the supply position of phosphates and the likely price increases which he expects in 1974 as compared with 1973.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Phosphate Supplies.
25.
The Moroccan Phosphate Organisation recently decided to raise the price of phosphate rock to European customers from $15 to $45 per ton, an increase of 200 per cent, from 1st January, 1974. Ireland imports roughly half a million tons of phosphate rock annually and this supply comes, almost entirely, from Morocco. There are other producers of phosphate rock such as the USA, Canada, the USSR, Tunisia and Algeria but, because of the present world shortage of this material, supplies from these sources at favourable prices are not obtainable.
Needless to say, a cost increase of 200 per cent for this basic raw material is a matter of great concern for the Irish fertiliser manufacturers. The manufacturers have applied for a substantial price increase and I am awaiting a recommendation from the National Prices Commission on this application.
Our ambassador to the EEC has raised the matter of the Moroccan price increase with the Community in the context of its impending trade agreement with Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The Community is at present considering how the problem might best be approached.
I should like to ask the Minister if it is true that there are at present, and before the Moroccan authorities introduced their new measures, large stocks of phosphate in the possession of fertiliser manufacturing companies in this country and, since it is the case, will he take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that there is no profiteering on stocks already held by fertiliser manufacturers or fertiliser merchants?
This is one of the things to be taken into consideration by the National Prices Commission in coming to a decision on the price increase proposed by the manufacturers of phosphates.
Is there an accurate knowledge of the precise amount held by traders, merchants and manufacturers of phosphates before the time of the increase?
That is a separate question.
I have not that information.