asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state: (1) the number of industrial alcohol factories that have been erected in the Irish Free State and where situated; (2) the cost of each factory; (3) the salary paid to the manager of each of the factories; (4) the number of employees (other than clerical staff) employed in each factory and their average weekly wages; and (5) the amount of industrial alcohol that has been produced at each of the factories and the manufacturing cost per gallon of same.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Alcohol Factories.
Five industrial alcohol factories have been erected—one at Riverstown, Cooley, County Louth; one at Carrickmacross, County Monaghan; one at Carndonagh, County Donegal; one at Labbadish, County Donegal; and one at Corroy, Ballina, County Mayo.
I am not yet in a position to state the final cost of each factory, but, in accordance with the usual practice, particulars of the total expenditure on the industrial alcohol undertaking during 1937-38 will be presented to the Dáil after the close of the financial year.
Each factory will be under the control of a master distiller. Three such appointments have been made to date. One master distiller is paid at the rate of £500 a year, and each of the other two at £400 a year. Accommodation, heating and lighting are provided in each case.
The answer to the fourth part of the question is contained in the reply which I gave on the 24th November to a similar question addressed to me by Deputy Keyes.
As regards the last part of the question, only one factory was operated for a short period at the close of the 1936/37 potato season when about 18,000 gallons of alcohol were produced. The same factory re-commenced operations recently and arrangements for starting up a second factory are at present in progress. The remaining factories are expected to go into production within a short period. Until the installation as a whole is working, sufficient data will not be available for a reliable calculation of manufacturing costs.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, has he not made any estimate of what would be the manufacturing cost per gallon of industrial alcohol?
A variety of estimates.
What estimates?
I am not prepared to state.
The Minister is not prepared to say what estimates he has made or what the probable cost of this will be, although the House is asked to provide money for the establishment of this industry.
This is really a matter of experiment, and we have to wait until the factories are established for some time in order to find out what the cost of production will be.
Surely, the Minister must have received some figures from the experts, who were engaged in connection with this matter, as to what the cost of production would be?
If the Deputy will repeat his question this day 12 months I shall be able to tell him the actual cost of production during the year.
I can assure the Minister that I will repeat the question this day week.