asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether his attention has been called to the condition of the silica mine at Portacloy, County Mayo; whether he is aware that this mine was formerly worked with satisfactory results; whether he is further aware that if reopened and developed the mine would give constant employment to several hundred men, the majority of whom are now unemployed in the district, and if, in the circumstances, he will send an engineer from his Department to the area to investigate the possibilities of reopening the mine and to report as to its future development.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Portacloy (Co. Mayo) Silica Mine.
I am not aware that these deposits were ever worked with satisfactory results; but my Department has had constantly in view the possibility of developing them. An investigation of the deposits from the technical point of view was carried out by the Industrial Research Council in 1935. As part of this investigation, the deposits were inspected in 1934 by a sub-committee of members of the council. In addition to this technical investigation, however, actual prospecting work would apparently be required in order to determine the possibilities of the deposits from the point of view of successful commercial development. Any person or group proposing to prospect the deposits with a view to their commercial development will receive every encouragement from my Department; but I have no such proposal before me at the moment.
Could the Minister tell us when this mine was worked? Was it 100 years ago?
I would require notice of that question.