asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) what number of men would be directly employed and (b) to estimate the number who would be indirectly employed (giving the principal categories of indirect employment) in producing in one manufactory from raw materials raised in the Saorstát 250,000 tons of cement per annum, and to intimate what increase in the numbers at (a) and (b) above would result from producing from Saorstát raw materials the same amount of cement per annum in three factories (each of about 80,000 tons capacity) instead of in one unit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Cement Manufacture.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) what number of men would be directly employed and (b) to estimate the number who would be indirectly employed (giving the principal categories of indirect employment) in producing in one grinding mill from imported cement clinker 250,000 tons of cement per annum, and to indicate what increase in the number at (a) and (b) above would result from producing from imported clinker the same amount of cement per annum in three factories (each of about 80,000 tons capacity) instead of in one unit.
I propose to reply to Nos. 6 and 7 together. Various estimates have been submitted to me of the numbers who would be employed on the processes to which the Deputy refers in these questions. I do not feel, however, that I could furnish definite figures with any confidence that they would be accurate. The estimates submitted to me do not distinguish between direct and indirect employment.
The Minister will recollect that his calculations as indicated on the Second Reading of the Cement (Customs Duty Undertaking) Bill, were based upon the items set down here for answer.
I think I was careful to indicate that the figures were very rough estimates indeed.
I have asked for approximations and I do not know why I should not get them.