Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Apr 1933

Vol. 46 No. 16

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Factories.

Risteard Ua Maolchatha

addressed the following Questions to the Minister for Industry and Commerce:

2: If he will state the owners or the names and the town or other district of location of each of the three new factories for mattress making stated by him in his statement of the 13th January last to have been opened since March, 1932.

3: If he will state the owners or the names and the town or other district of location of each of the four new factories for hosiery stated by him in his statement of the 13th January last to have been opened since March, 1932.

4: If he will state the owners or the names and the town or other district of location of each of the four new factories for shirts and collars stated by him in his statement of the 13th January last to have been opened since March, 1932.

5: If he will state the owners or the names and the town or other district of location of each of the fourteen new factories for ready-made clothing stated by him in his statement of the 13th January last to have been opened since March, 1932.

6: If he will state the owners or the names and the town or other district of location of each of the three new factories for handkerchiefs stated by him in his statement of the 13th January last to have been opened since March, 1932.

Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Lemass)

I propose to reply to Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 together. The position of some of the firms referred to in these questions is being examined in the light of the Control of Manufactures Act. Apart from this consideration, I am of opinion that the publication by way of answers to Parliamentary Questions of the information required by the Deputy is undesirable having regard to the interests of the firms concerned and the interests of other firms in the same industries. A Directory of Irish Manufactures is being prepared by my Department and I suggest to the Deputy that he should await its publication.

General Mulcahy

When can we expect that the Directory the Minister speaks about will be published?

Mr. Lemass

I am afraid I am not in a position to give definite information on that point, but we are speeding up the collection of information for it.

General Mulcahy

Is the Minister not in a position to give the House any information with regard to developments in manufacturing industry?

Mr. Lemass

I am in a position to give information, but I do not think it is desirable, in the interests of all concerned, that the particular information the Deputy asks for in this question should be made public by way of reply to Parliamentary Question.

General Mulcahy

Is the Minister in a position to give us the limited information that he gave us in reply to a question similar to this: that while he does not want to give the names of the factories on account of whatever he has in his mind, is he in a position to say that these three factories are situate in such and such a place as far as the mattresses are concerned; that the four factories with regard to hosiery are situate one in Cork, one in Limerick and two where-ever they are? Surely, the Minister without any trouble could let us have information that would give us an idea of the localities in which these industries are being developed.

Mr. Lemass

The Deputy is no doubt aware that in relation to a number of these industries the greater part of the development has been in the form of an extension of existing concerns. Partial information published in the form in which the Deputy asks would, I think, create a false idea of the situation in regard to these industries. I would much prefer to give a general view of the position in respect of any industry than to give this partial information.

General Mulcahy

The Minister must be aware that in October last he gave certain information with regard to the number of new factories that had been put up. As the result, perhaps, of a more critical examination, he stated in January last that there were 149 factories and classified them under different headings. Is the Minister not able to give us now the geographical distribution of these firms? If there is any importance in putting them all together and telling us that there are four new factories set up for hosiery, and so on, surely there is probably some additional importance in telling us where they are located. If the Minister has a difficulty in giving us the names of these firms, can he offer us any sound reason why, in addition to telling us, as he has told us, that these have been set up as new factories, he would not say where they are located?

Mr. Lemass

I have already explained that I would much prefer to give—I think it would be much more desirable—a review of the position, say, in the hosiery and in some of the other industries. That review of course will appear in the Directory. I doubt the wisdom of giving in this form partial information in relation to an industry which would create a false idea as to its geographical location, or the degree of development that had taken place.

General Mulcahy

If the Minister doubts the wisdom of letting us know where they are located, can he say what is the wisdom of making a general statement to the effect that four new factories have been started for hosiery, that four new factories have been started for shirts and collars and three new factories for this, that and the other, with a whole long string of numbers and classes of industry?

Mr. Lemass

I am not at all convinced of the wisdom of making such a statement, but the Deputy will recollect that the statement was issued for the purpose of contradicting an incorrect statement which appeared elsewhere.

General Mulcahy

Such as what?

Mr. Lemass

The statement published in the advertisements of the Cumann na nGaedheal Party during the election campaign in reply to which it was made.

General Mulcahy

I think the Minister forgets the roots from which sprang all his actions.