Tairgim:—
That Seanad Éireann hereby approves of Control of Imports (Quota No. 45) (Amendment) Order, 1957.
Control of Imports (Quota No. 45) (Amendment) Order, 1957—Motion of Approval.
An explanatory memorandum has been circulated and I take it that the sense and meaning of this Order are already understood by Senators. However, Quota No. 45 Order 949, as amended, provides, inter alia, that woven cotton piece goods which have a pattern in colour woven therein and which contain more than 90 ends per inch to the warp shall be excepted from the prohibition of importation effected by the Order. This provision was designed to exclude from the scope of the quota Order certain finely woven materials which are not manufactured by the Irish mills while ensuring protection for the heavier cloths, for example, striped flannelette for shirts and pyjamas produced by the Irish mills, and the Cotton and Rayon Manufacturers' Association reported that an importer was offering to the trade a woven patterned pyjama flannelette which qualified for exemption from quota restriction, on the grounds that it contained more than 90 ends per inch to the warp. The association represented that the unrestricted importation of this cloth would have serious repercussions on the home production of striped pyjama flannelette. Sales of striped pyjama flannelette by Irish manufacturers have been as follows: Year 1955, 148,00 square yards; year 1956, 144,000 square yards. Employment is given in the Irish mills on the production of flannelette to 62 workers.
Question put and agreed to.