I move that Seanad Éireann hereby approves of the Sugar (Prohibition of Import) Order, 1949.
Sugar (Prohibition of Import) Order, 1949—Motion.
Senators are probably familiar with the terms of this Order. Under the Sugar (Control of Import) Act, 1936, the Government is empowered to prohibit by Order the importation of sugar except under licence. Import licences may be granted to the Sugar Company. The first Prohibition Order was made in 1936 and since that time the importation of sugar has been regulated by an annual Prohibition Order. The current Order is the fourteenth Order of the series and it prohibits the importation of sugar during the period from the 1st May, 1949 to the 30th April, 1950.
Section 3 of the Sugar (Control of Import) Act, 1936, provides that every Prohibition Order shall cease to have effect at the expiration of six months from the date thereof unless the Order has been approved by resolution of the Oireachtas passed before the expiration of the said six months. The current Order was made on the 22nd April, 1949, and consequently, it would expire on the 21st October, 1949, unless confirmed.
In normal times when sugar is freely available it is necessary to restrict imports in the interests of the home factories. The annual demand for sugar is at the rate of about 100,000 tons, but the local factories have been able to supply only 80 per cent. of this figure. It is necessary, therefore, usually, to allow 20,000 tons to be imported and the arrangement under which sugar may be imported only by the Sugar Company enables a uniform price to be maintained for both home-produced and imported sugar. During the emergency imported supplies of sugar were scarce and it was not possible to import anything like the quantities we required. However, the position has improved in recent years. We imported 20,268 tons in 1947 and we imported 40,170 tons in 1948. The present Order will continue the powers under which it is possible to confine the imports to the Sugar Company. The Sugar (Control of Import) Act, 1936, also provides under Section 7 (4) that a fee at the rate appointed by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, shall be paid in respect of every licence which is issued authorising the importation of sugar. The object of this provision is to ensure that the Sugar Company, which is the sole licensee, will not make any profits on the importation and sale of sugar. I, therefore, ask the House to confirm the Order.
We approve of the Order. Would it be possible for the Parliamentary Secretary to tell us the amount of sugar which is extracted from home-grown beet and the amount of sugar which was imported in 1939? The Parliamentary Secretary has said that something in the region of 100,000 tons of sugar are necessary to meet the requirements of our people and that normally some 20,000 tons are imported per annum.
In 1947, 20,268 tons were imported. In 1939, 44,977 tons were imported.
In 1948, we imported 40,170 tons. Therefore, I must take it that if we have not already reached the requirement for giving a full supply of sugar to our people we must be very near it. I should like to impress on the Parliamentary Secretary the urgency and importance of increasing the sugar ration all round for our people. As the Parliamentary Secretary and members of the House are aware, an allowance was made to sweet manufacturers and other manufacturers, to hotel keepers and others, whilst on the other hand, the public in general are deprived of their full requirements—unless they are in a position to pay the increased price of 7½d. per lb. As a matter of fact one of the promises made by the many Parties during the general election was that if they were elected there would be a more equitable distribution of all the commodities available. If we are to have that position, then when we have sufficient sugar to make available a greater allowance of it to every person in the State we should do so.
Does this import, under licence, of 20,000 tons of sugar normally—or 40,000 tons as it was last year—include sugar confectionery?
This is only raw sugar.
Since we can supply normally only 80,000 tons per annum for our own needs from beet, may I say that I would rather see more sugar imported, in addition to our total home supply, and less manufactured confectionery? I consider that it would be better economy to import the sugar and to make the confectionery here rather than to import the confectionery. After all, when you import the confectionery you import the sugar. I would urge the importation of less confectionery not merely because more employment would thereby result in this country but because the confectionery which we would make here would be available at a cheaper price. Whatever price we may pay for imported raw sugar when it comes in as raw sugar, it will certainly be considerably cheaper than imported sweets and confectionery.
In the past few years this country was flooded with imported sweets and confectionery at terrifically high prices, and they were not up to our own standard. I have no interest in confecfectionery. I have got beyond the stage where sweets attract me but I think it would be much better if we limited the amount of imported manufactured confectionery even if it should mean increasing our imports of raw sugar.
As Senators are aware, there has been a very great shortage of sugar not only in this country but elsewhere. Whilst the supplies have recently improved, it has not been possible up to the present to get sufficient sugar to meet all our requirements. We have endeavoured to do so and I hope we shall succeed in the future in getting sufficient sugar both at home and from abroad to meet all our own requirements. The question to which Senator O'Farrell refers is not regulated under the Sugar (Control of Import) Act. The sale of confectionery is a separate matter. It is true that during 1947 substantial quantities of sweets and jams were imported. That happened at a time when traders had been without adequate supplies of sweets and jams during the emergency. It was reasonable that they would restock for a potential market. I think that anyone who has had experience of restocking at that time, particularly of the sweets and jams they imported, will hesitate to embark on such a project again.
Motion put and agreed to.
The Seanad adjourned at 4.40 p.m.sine die.