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Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 13 Jun 1930

Vol. 35 No. 9

Finance Bill, 1930—Fifth Stage.

Question proposed—"That the Bill do now pass."

As so much has been said on this Bill I do not propose to detain the House very long. We are disappointed with the contents of the Bill. We are of opinion that the Minister, instead of adopting what the Americans call a "stand pat" attitude with regard to this important matter should have used the opportunity given him by the Bill to improve economic and industrial conditions in the country. This Bill merely leaves matters as they were. Certainly, the Minister cannot claim —and I do not think anybody can— that conditions economically and industrially are such as he or anyone else would like to have them, or anything near that. Industrially this country is in an impoverished condition. That is not the Minister's fault. It is not entirely the fault of this House any more than of the Minister. Largely it may be said to arise from historical causes, but the opportunity that we now have, such as it is, to legislate to improve industrial conditions in the Twenty-Six Counties is not being used to the full by the Minister, or to anything like the full extent. There is a field here that is ripe for development. Unless we are going to make use of all the powers we have to develop that field, and to encourage others to come into that field and till it we are not doing our duty.

The Minister was a disciple for a long time of the late Arthur Griffith. He maintains, and his Party maintains, that they are following the Griffith tradition. But, if I know anything about Griffith's economic education, he certainly would not follow the industrial and economic policy being pursued by the present Government in propounding Bills of this kind. This is largely an agricultural country——

Surely this is not relevant on the Fifth Stage of this Bill?

I think I can prove that it is in order.

No. I am giving a good deal of liberty, but on the Fifth Stage we are confined to exactly what is in the Bill; not to what we think should be in it.

Even restricting me as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle does, I think I can prove from the little there is in the Bill that my remarks are relevant. Out of the eighty millions of production—which is a small figure for the Twenty-Six Counties—on the present basis of this and other Bills we are spending thirty millions in one way or another—twenty-two millions in direct taxation, five millions in local rates, and three millions in land annuities. These last two items are outside the scope of the Bill, but I bring them in to show how we are spending a total of £30,000,000, which comes directly out of the taxpayers' pocket, out of a total production of £80,000,000. If the Minister made use of the opportunity that this and similar Bills provided, by adopting Griffith's policy of protecting Irish industries, he could have developed the resources of the Twenty-Six Counties by reserving the home market for industrial production here. He could certainly have this year given new hope and heart to the country. Similar things have been done in other countries. The Minister knows as well as I do that others in his position elsewhere brought in legislation of this kind to improve the industrial position of their countries by introducing measures of protection of one kind or another.

The Deputy is now talking about what he thinks the Minister should have in the Bill.

I will conclude by saying that I think this Bill is disappointing. The small measure of protection that it gives is certainly not going to encourage industry. The Minister has rapidly gone away from the policy he preached for so many years, and that he learned, as some others of us did, from Griffith, For some reason that I do not know, he has gone away from that policy. The Government have not had the courage to adopt their own teaching. This Bill is a disappointment, and throws away an opportunity of regenerating the country industrially. So far as it loses that opportunity we are disappointed and dissatisfied with it, and I think the country has good reason to be dissatisfied.

Question put and agreed to.

This Bill has been certified by the Ceann Comhairle as a Money Bill.

The Dáil adjourned at 1.5 p.m. until Wednesday, June 18th.

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