asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether he is aware that the statement has appeared in the Press to the effect that it has been officially announced that a factory for the manufacture of oils and fats is to be established at Drogheda; a factory for the manufacture of laces and elastics in Ennis; a factory for the manufacture of electric lighting cables and wires at New Ross; and a factory for the manufacture of razor blades at Enniscorthy; and if it is now possible for him to state the location of and the articles manufactured in the 100 new factories stated by him in the Dáil on the 24th May last to have been established during the last two years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Factories.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is in the affirmative.
With regard to the second part of the question, the preparation of returns giving the information asked for would involve an amount of time and trouble which, in view of the present pressure of work in the Department, would be unwarranted.
Will the Minister say what is the expense of associating the information referred to in the notification of the proposed establishment of these five new factories and if he will prepare an estimate of the expense of associating information with regard to the 100 new factories that he says have been established?
I made no reference to expense. I made reference to the time which would have to be given by officers of the Department, who are at present exceedingly busy with other work.
Will the Minister say whether he has more information at his disposal about the five industries that he says are about to be established than he has about the 100 industries that he says have been established?
Not to speak of the 300.
The reply is "no."
Are we to understand that there is no difficulty in associating the information that the Minister gets with regard to industries that are about to be established, but that there would be considerable trouble and expense in associating the information with regard to the 100 industries that have been established? Does the Minister consider that the expense and the trouble would be more than 20 times greater?
The answer to all parts of the Deputy's supplementary question is in the negative.
Will the Minister say whether the reason for the publication of the information with regard to the five proposed industries and the non-publication of information with regard to the 100 industries is that there is more propaganda value to be obtained out of five promises than there would be out of 100 performances?
No.