asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether numerous applications have been received for sites for the establishment of new factories and packing houses in the Irish Free State, and, if so, what steps, if any, have been or will be taken by the Government to encourage the establishment of same in provincial towns and villages.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Factories in Provincial Towns.
My department has received notifications from various parts of the country as to vacant premises which might be used as factories and as to sites suitable for the establishment of new factories. This information is always available to inquirers for such premises or sites. The policy of the Government is to decentralise industry and consequently particular attention is paid to the claims of provincial towns.
What I want to draw attention to is that as a result of the tariffs most of the new factories or industries set up will be set up in port towns and the rest of the country will be paying for them. I think their Government ought to encourage their establishment in other country towns.
Has the Minister power to convey to private corporations Government property by way of sale or has he any power to lease such property?
There is power to lease for a period of 99 years under the State Lands Act. As regards the other point it is not correct that all, or even most of the propositions, in respect of new industries put to the Department relate to factories to be established in Dublin. It does apply in respect of most of the establishments opened in consequence of the imposition of the package duty. In relation to most other industries, the tendency is, and it is a tendency which is fostered by the Department, to seek sites in other centres.
It is mostly in port towns.
Has the Minister received any representations from the Cork Harbour Commissioners in regard to vacant sites at Tivoli and other parts of Cork City? I handed in a question into the office a couple of days ago asking for information on the same point, and the question I want to put is, has he received any representations on behalf of the Cork Harbour Commissioners, acting on behalf of the citizens of Cork, pointing out that there are sites available in Cork city for factories?
I am afraid I would require notice of that.
Mr. Hogan (Clare):
Would the Minister take some steps to indicate, say, through the "Trade Journal," or in some other way, the names of firms seeking premises in this country, so that corporations, public bodies, and others interested, may be able to make representations to have their towns or villages considered as centres for industries?
I am afraid there is some misunderstanding. We do not often come up against firms seeking information from the Department as to suitable sites. A number of firms approach the Department with relation to products of one kind or another in which they are interested, and the Department brings to their attention such information as to facilities available in different centres as would seem to meet each particular case. Very often that information is taken by the firms in question for the purpose of examination.