asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he would be prepared to assist in arranging for organised visits of Saorstát manufacturers to other countries where they would have opportunities of studying recent developments in industrial organisation, production and marketing.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MANUFACTURERS AND FOREIGN METHODS.
Mr. BOURKE (for Minister for Industry and Commerce)
I would heartily welcome on the part of industrialists in the Saorstát a practical desire to study at close quarters the industrial organisation and manufacturing methods of other countries, and would lend all the assistance I can towards arranging a series of foreign visits for this purpose. Having regard to the direct benefit individual manufacturers must expect to derive, and as a sign of their genuine interest, I would expect the expenses to be borne by those participating in a tour. But I could give substantial assistance by having the preliminary arrangements undertaken by my Department, by obtaining facilities for whatever inspections it was desired to make abroad, by enlisting the co-operation of railway, shipping and hotel interests with the object of keeping the expenses within reasonable limits, and in other ways.
Unless the Deputy has some other suggestion to make, I would propose to bring this matter at once before each of the Advisory Committees attached to my Department, and ask them to notify me which of the industries would be prepared to avail of organised visits abroad and the country or countries to which they consider such visits would most advantageously be paid.