asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will name the textile products from low cost countries the import of which the EEC are seeking to place under restraint.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Textile Industry.
9.
I take it that the Deputy's question refers to voluntary restraint agreements which the European Economic Community propose to negotiate, in respect of sensitive textile products, with a number of supplying countries.
It is proposed that these agreements will be negotiated under the terms of the arrangement regarding international trade in textiles—generally referred to as the "Multi-fibres Arrangement"—concluded in Geneva on 20th December, 1974.
The list of countries with which such agreements will be proposed by the Community has not yet been finally settled and the products proposed for inclusion in such agreements are likely to vary from country to country concerned, having regard to the pattern of the export trade of these countries to the Community in recent years. Where the circumstances so demand, the Community's intention would be to include all those textile products including clothing and other made-up articles which are likely to create real risks of market disruption to the textile trade of the countries of the Community.
The length of the Minister's reply does not disguise the fact that hundreds of jobs have been lost in the textile and footwear industries because of the failure of the Minister to take any action to protect Irish industry from unfair competition from third countries by the use of means of access through the United Kingdom.
That would seem to arise under the next question.
It is a harmful, ignorant and tendentious question and completely at variance with the known facts and, therefore, does not deserve a reply.
A Cheann Comhairle, am I to take it that we are now to be lectured about how ignorant and tendentious our questions are? I would like your ruling on the Minister's last observation.
It was a purely political charge.
You are accepting?
In view of the fact that the Ceann Comhairle has accepted this comment from the Minister and that it is now proper for the Minister for Industry and Commerce to describe someone on the Opposition benches as ignorant and tendentious, will that particular description be allowable from this side of the House in return.
I trust the Minister did not mean anything personal.
The actual fact is that this is the only defence the Minister has had to offer over the last 12 months.
I do not think we should waste the valuable time available to us for questions.
Whenever a legitimate point is made by the Opposition we have to put up with this insulting backlash from the Minister, who has no other answer except the kind of ignorant answer we got.
May I have an answer to my supplementary question now? I am asking Comrade Keating——
The Minister.
——if it is not true that Irish workers are being disemployed because of his failure to take action against third country imports coming in through the United Kingdom?
It is not true.
If that is ignorant or tendentious, Comrade, you can report back to Moscow about it.
10.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has yet made representations to the British Government regarding the channelling of cheap textiles through Britain to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Depending on the mode of transport and the geographical location of the countries concerned, goods consigned from one country to another may pass in transit through a third country. This would not confer any benefit on the goods in question in regard to the conditions of entry to the country of destination. These entry terms are determined by the origin of the goods, as defined for customs purposes, and as established by the documents accompanying the consignments. The adequacy and veracity of the documentation is a matter for the customs authorities at the point of destination to decide and examination and verification of such documentation is a normal responsibility of the customs authority in the importing country. In the event of any falsification of documents or labels for the purpose of securing more favourable entry terms, the appropriate action lies with the domestic customs authorities. The question of making representations to the authorities in the United Kingdom in this matter does not, therefore, arise.
Does that mean that the Minister does not recognise in relation to imports of cheap textiles coming through Britain that imports from Britain to Ireland are imports from outside? Have we the Minister now getting us back to the sort of British Isles idea that an import from Britain is not something we can examine?
Certainly not and, if the Deputy will read the text of my reply, he will see it does not bear that inference.
The Minister says the customs authorities here have not the right to examine such imports from Britain.
I would refer the Deputy to the text of my answer.
We have not got the text.
Regarding the channelling of cheap textiles through Britain to Ireland, we are talking about those textiles which come through Britain and which did not originate in Britain.
But the situation is that we have cheap textiles channelled through Britain, relabelled in Britain and imported here under a "Manufactured in Britain" label. This device is being used and we are being fooled under the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement and the Minister does not seem to appreciate that.
I appreciate it perfectly well but the Deputy seems to be unaware of the continuous enforcement procedures operated by the Revenue Commissioners and of their continuous contact with their opposite numbers in Britain to prevent such abuses taking place and my information is that the level of such abuses, while they exist and while there is a continuous effort to stop them, is low. The continuous contact with the British revenue authorities is keeping such imports at a very low level.
Is the Minister seriously denying that many hundreds of Irish workers have lost their jobs in the textile industry here because of these imports and is the Minister now saying he is unable or unwilling to do anything about it? Would he please tell us which is the case?
I suppose Deputy Gibbons could ask a sensible question if he wanted to, but he is endeavouring to ask the sort of "Do you still beat your wife?" type of question, which is a trap question.
I am asking a very sensible question, Comrade, and I would like a sensible answer.
If the Deputy would ask me a simple direct question——
Is the Minister able to do anything about it?
——without trying to load it he will get a simple direct answer.
Not a lecture, please.
But, if he wants to be tendentious, he will get a snotty reply.
You are a snotty little Minister.
You are not able to reply, Comrade.