Last night before we concluded, I had covered, in rather considerable detail, the various schemes which my Department conducts, having for their object the development of our sea and inland fisheries. This brings us down to sub-head F., which provides for the maintenance of those industrial centres scattered around the western seaboard and which are State-managed. There are about forty-one of these in all, distributed as follows:—Galway, 14; Mayo, 13; Donegal, 8; Cork, 3; Sligo, 2, and Kerry 1. The output of these industrial classes, as we call them, consists particularly of knitted woollen wear and of stuff in the nature of artificial silk, knitting, crochet-work, lace, embroidery and so on. The changes of fashion and the very heavy duty imposed last year in Britain on imported artificial silk gave the industry a very severe set-back. As a matter of fact, we had to get classes, in which three-quarters of their output was in the artificial silk line, to switch on to woollen knitting.
We were helped in this by the tax in this country on imported ready-made clothing. That gave a fillip to the knitted woollen wear turned out in these classes. In order to meet that increased demand at home for knitted goods, we increased our plant last year and we introduced knitting into districts which formerly turned out lace and crochet goods only. In the Estimate now before the Dáil, under sub-head F, Section 1, and sub-head 7, £16,000 is provided for the purchase of raw materials. We may require that amount and we may not, or we may require more than that amount. It is a thing which one cannot specify exactly. We propose during this year to increase our knitting plant by fifteen or twenty knitting machines. It is unfortunate that we cannot move forward more rapidly in this direction because of the difficulty in getting trained knitters who are able to utilise the machines. We are constantly having very considerable difficulty in that direction.
The subject of marketing the products of these classes is one which, I think, needs very considerable alteration. At the moment, as a matter of fact, it is receiving the very close attention of the Department. We feel that there must be centralised control of the selling side. At the moment one class may be competing against another in their products. That means, perhaps, considerable loss from the point of view of the price received for the goods. We are therefore contemplating a scheme by which we will have centralised control. The scheme, as a matter of fact, is almost ready. These rural industries were really mainly meant to give employment to girls in the remote agricultural areas. We find one exception to that in the Galway toy factory. This factory was set up by the late Congested Districts Board, about ten years ago, in a very small way. At first, in order to try and create the business of making wooden toys in the west, about five years ago they acquired much larger premises. They purchased more modern machinery for the manufacture of toys and went in for the business on a bigger scale generally. Steady employment was given to about twenty girls and boys, and ten adults. However, in spite of the fact that they had cheap power and cheap raw timber—the Congested Districts Board, as a matter of fact, were the proprietors of a wood not very far distant from the factory—the results of the trading of this factory up to last year have shown very heavy losses. After very long consideration I have come to the conclusion that, if it is not disposed of, or run as a private business concern, it will have to be closed down. We are at present considering an offer in this direction.
I would ask Deputies to bear in mind that these rural industries were started by the Congested Districts Board and that that was one of the chief reasons for the creation of that body. The industries were handed over to my Department in 1924. Undoubtedly the setting up of such industries in such a way involves loss, but I think there must be a limit to the continuation of that loss. It is the policy of the Fisheries Department where some of these classes show no hope of moving towards self-support, to close them down. Since we took them over we have closed down several. They were not being availed of, and for one reason or another were a hopeless loss. Some of them are paying—a limited number—since last year. That is because of the set-back I referred to in connection with the tax on artificial silk. I omitted to mention some figures in connection with the output of these classes. In 1922-23 the value of the output was £29,253; in 1923-24 £32,074; in 1924-25 the figures rose to £34,003; last year (1925-26) it dropped back to £29,717. Still it was somewhat higher than 1923-24, but over £4,000 less than 1924-25. That is accounted for by the tax on artificial silk. The drop would have been far greater only for switching on to knitted woollen goods. When these industries are really self-supporting they may be enticing propositions to a buyer. We are anxious that they should be sold. The policy is to sell and remove them from State intervention.
Before leaving the question of rural industries I would like to refer to Donegal homespuns. At one time these were a very important source of income to the small landholders and weavers of south-west Donegal. I think some steps should be taken to revive these industries, the products of which were fairly widely known. It is hardly necessary to reiterate the causes that have led to the disappearance of these industries. They were partly, if not chiefly, the lack of foresight on the part of the weavers, not having up-to-date patterns and, to some extent, the changes in fashion. It became less usual to wear coarse woollen homespuns produced in this way. That, I think, may be only a temporary phase, so that there may be possibilities for reviving the industry. However, there is a danger that the weavers may have lost the art and that spinning and weaving there may die out. There is need for giving a helping hand to the industry. I have put a proposition up to the Finance Department asking for authority to appoint an industrial inspector on my staff. This person must be competent to undertake the introduction of more up-to-date methods of dyeing and weaving. Such an inspector would be essential for a considerable time until the weavers realise that they must keep their work up to the best standard. I can deal with any other questions that arise on sub-head F in my reply.
Sub-head G deals with the provision of £9,500 for the maintenance and operation of the fishery cruiser. The same amount was provided last year, but the actual cost of running was £7,520, or £1,980 less than was estimated. The saving was chiefly due to the fact that we had a lighter repair bill than usual, and to a reduction in the cost of coal. We are asking for £9,500 this year, as, owing to the present position of the coal trade, we are not able to calculate what the price will be. It may rise very considerably. With a twenty years' old boat it is hard to estimate what repairs may be required when she is brought into dock for annual overhaul. Although it has almost become a hardy annual, I have to repeat that it is absolutely necessary to have at least one other ship. Anybody who knows the coast knows that there are at least 1,000 miles to be patrolled, and that one boat could not possibly do that effectively, more especially now when a great many poaching trawlers are equipped with wireless, and inform one another of the whereabouts of the "Murchu" when she is seen at a particular point. When trawlers at Donegal learn that the "Murchu" is at Valentia, naturally Donegal coast is fair game for the trawlers there.
I have been asking for a second fishery cruiser for, I think, three years. I was advised, after reference to the Finance Department, to put up particulars of the cost. I showed that a new boat of the type we have would cost forty thousand pounds to build, and about nine thousand pounds to run. We would have her built in such a way that she would resemble poaching trawlers as closely as possible, so that it would not be easy to distinguish her at a distance. It is unfortunate in regard to our present boat that she is fairly easily distinguishable. After considerable discussion with the Finance Department, it was suggested by them that we should look out for a second-hand boat that might be converted. We did that, and we put up a proposition to the Finance Department for a boat at £16,000, which would help us considerably, though she would not be quite so good as we would like. That proposition is still under consideration by the Finance Department, and we have not got sanction.
Sub-head H represents our contribution to the International Council for the Study of the Sea. I referred to that in my opening remarks. The amount set down represents our contribution in respect of membership. Last year it amounted to £400, and this year it is £550. The contribution is a fixed sum, paid in Danish Kroner, and the increase is caused by the rise on the exchange of Danish currency.
I now come to Minor Marine Works. I should like to refer to these somewhat fully, lest any misinterpretation be placed on the remarks I made yesterday evening when referring to certain very expensive works in the way of harbours and piers which were built in the past, and at which, even to this day, there is no fishing. These small marine works I consider of the very highest importance, and I should like to have considerably more money allocated for them. They are, as a rule, very small slips or other minor works where fishing is actually going on, and where it is worth the expenditure proposed. The money is usually expended in remote places, where there are no landing facilities, where men fish in very small boats, where they are half-farmers and half-fishermen, and where they help to eke out a living by their operations in the sea. This expenditure I consider of very great utility. As a rule, we ask for some contribution from the local body before we expend the money, so as to prevent frivolous demands for these works. Last year we provided under this heading £1,500, but owing to weather conditions, only £606 was spent, so that a considerable portion of the Estimate this year is really a re-vote. The works done last year included harbour improvements at Gortnasade, in County Donegal; Mountain Stage, in County Kerry; as well as some work done in removing obstructions in Brandon Bay. The postponed works from last year were a shelter wall in Lough Swilly, and a slip on Clare Island, County Mayo. In addition to these works, estimated to cost £900, we are arranging for harbour improvements at Clogher Head, in County Louth, where there is a very industrious fishing population. This particular work will cost £500. The remaining money has been provisionally allocated to works in Dublin Bay, in Kerry, and elsewhere.
As regards sub-head J (Appropriations-in-Aid), I do not think I need say much more. I have referred to nearly all these items before. The item in regard to Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Duties Grant is explained in this way: When the Department of Agriculture was formed and endowed with certain moneys for their purposes, there was this allocation set aside for fishery development.
I have taken up more time than I intended to take and more than was fair to the Dáil, but I thought it necessary to give a detailed explanation of the workings of the Department because of what I considered very badly-informed criticism going on in certain quarters. I have already referred to the development of steam-trawling. Three things are necessary for that, in my opinion. In the first place, there is capital required and that must come from private enterprise. Then there is control, which must be ordinary business control, which can never be done by a State Department and which can never be done under our Constitution. Even in smaller things, the C.D.B. and the D.A.T.I. had a certain amount of freedom as regards financial control, so long as they kept within the amount placed at their disposal.
In the running of any kind of business, you must have the power of turning the money over. That cannot be done by the State and it cannot be done under our Constitution. Then it is necessary to have skilled labour. We are lacking at present in skilled labour. Most of our fishermen are capable of working motor boats and sailing boats, but we have very few trained for the more highly developed modern types of fishing—steam trawlers and steam drifters. Many of our young fishermen who were trained have gone to other countries to follow that or some other calling. The work of the fisherman is very laborious and very dangerous and the results are very uncertain. I am not a believer in the development of steam trawling by State management. I think that slow and steady development on sound commercial lines is the proper course. Our fisheries have improved steadily, as I showed in the figures I quoted yesterday, during the past three years, and, with the improvement of markets, transit and world conditions generally, I look forward to the continuous advancement of the industry year by year.
