I move:
That Seanad Éireann hereby approves of:
Control of Imports (Quota No. 53) (Miscellaneous Brushes) Order, 1966.
Control of Imports Orders.
An explanatory memorandum has been circulated to Senators giving particulars of the quota orders whose approval I am moving.
The Free Trade Area Agreement between this country and the United Kingdom provides for the retention of quantitative restrictions on the importation of brushes, brooms and mops up to 30th June, 1975. The quota order which was in force up to 30th June, 1966, imposes restrictions on all such articles, without limit as to value, and licences were granted to importers on the basis of their purchases from Irish manufacturers. In practice an importer could purchase cheap brushes from an Irish manufacturer and on the basis of these purchases be entitled to a licence which he could use to import expensive brushes.
The Government decided that this situation should not continue and agreement was reached with the British authorities on the institution of a new quota for brushes, brooms and mops costing less than thirty shillings per dozen, which would operate from 1st July, 1966. To give effect to the decision it was necessary to make a new quota order and to amend the existing quota order to exclude from its scope brushes, brooms and mops costing less than thirty shillings per dozen.
Under the terms of the Free Trade Area Agreement the Government was obliged to eliminate by 1st July, 1966, quantitative restrictions on the importation of stockings of silk or manmade fibres costing more than fifty shillings per dozen and originating in the United Kingdom. The Agreement provides for the retention of a quota on stockings which do not exceed fifty shillings per dozen pairs in value. With the agreement of the manufacturers the Government decided to eliminate, globally, the quota on silk stockings costing more than fifty shillings per dozen pairs and it was necessary to amend the existing quota order to exclude these articles from its scope.
The Government were also obliged by the Free Trade Area Agreement to eliminate quantitative restrictions on superphosphates of United Kingdom origin. The termination of this quota on a global basis was considered but it was decided that this would be detrimental to the interests of the Irish manufacturers and that the quota should be retained against third countries. It was necessary, consequently, to amend the existing quota order to confine the quota to superphosphates originating in countries other than the United Kingdom.
I compliment the Minister on the speed of his delivery which I am sure I could not match myself.
Thank you.
If I followed the Minister in what he said the position regarding brushes is different from what I understood it to be on reading the explanatory memorandum. From what the Minister said, it would appear that this new quota for brushes under 30/- per dozen is in substitution for other arrangements. I understood from the explanatory memorandum that there is an additional quota over and above the existing one.
It is really a matter of terminology. There is an extra quota. You have two quotas where you had one.
I wonder whether the total imports are greater, now that the quota is divided, than before? Is it a volume put into two quotas for reasons of control?
Yes.
The memorandum is singularly misworded. It states:
the Government decided that this situation should not continue and agreement was reached with the British authorities on the institution of a new quota for brushes, brooms and mops costing less than thirty shillings per dozen, which would operate from the 1st July, 1966.
How anybody could be expected to see from that that the additional quota is not an existing quota but part of the existing quota I do not know. I appreciate that the Minister is not responsible for this but I think Ministers approving of or drafting memoranda should not allow them to be misleading in form. I am not sure that anybody could have read the memorandum otherwise than as I have read it.
The terminology is not the happiest.
So there is, in fact, no additional quota allowed but there are provisions to ensure against abuse of the existing arrangements?
Yes.
We accept that. In regard to superphosphates manufactured and produced in the United Kingdom I should like to ask the Minister whether with the removal of the quota there will be a tariff on them or not and, if so, of what amount?
I have not got information on that. I only have information in regard to the quota aspect with third countries. I have no information on the tariff aspect. I shall ask the Minister for Industry and Commerce to furnish that information.
I should be glad if the Minister could give me that information because I could not find it very readily having lost the familiarity I had with it about nine months ago.
I have not got that information but I shall get it for the Senator.
I should be glad if the Minister could, but, nevertheless, there is no problem about agreeing to these arrangements.
Question put and agreed to.
I move:
That Seanad Éireann hereby approves of:
Control of Imports (Quota No. 12) (Silk or Artificial Silk Hose) (Amendment) Order, 1966.
Question put and agreed to.
I move:
That Seanad Éireann hereby approves of:
Control of Imports (Quota No. 28) (Miscellaneous Brushes) (Amendment) Order, 1966.
Question put and agreed to.
I move:
That Seanad Éireann hereby approves of:
Control of Imports (Quota No. 50) (Superphosphates) (Amendment) Order, 1966.
Question put and agreed to.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.20 p.m.sine die.