asked the Minister for Supplies if he will state at what date the special section of the Department of Industry and Commerce mentioned by him on the 2nd September, 1939 (Dáil Debates, columns 149, 150), was set up; to what Minister it was responsible; how many civil servants were attached to it; the several ranks of the individual civil servants attached to it; what powers and what financial or other resources the committee possessed; further, to ask whether the Minister will state generally to the supply of what articles the committee devoted its attention: what classes of manufacturers and traders were consulted, and what facilities were offered the persons approached, and what results were obtained.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department of Industry and Commerce—Special Section.
The special section referred to by the Deputy was set up in September, 1938, under the direction of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. It was under the immediate control of a deputy assistant secretary (substituted in July and August, 1939, by a principal officer) and the remainder of the staff consisted of one superintending officer, one first-class officer, one junior administrative officer, one second-class officer, four clerical officers, two writing assistants, two shorthand typists, two copying typists and one messenger.
The work was not assigned to a committee and it did not require the exercise of special powers or the making of separate financial provision. The officers engaged on the work had at their disposal the resources ordinarily available through the Departmental machinery.
The special section was concerned with arranging for the accumulation of reserve stocks of essential commodities and for the supply of such commodities during an emergency. Importers, manufacturers and wholesale traders were consulted and they were advised and encouraged to import adequate stocks of their requirements. As the section was concerned with a wide range of commodities the results obtained could not conveniently be indicated in answer to a Parliamentary question.
Is the Minister aware that, far from the facts being as he stated, merchants were actually prohibited from acquiring any supplies of flour at all during the whole month of August; and they would not be allowed to get them, with the result that on the 1st September, when the war broke out, there was no flour in any merchant's store in Ireland because they were informed that flour supplies must not be purchased pending the coming into operation of the cereal year under the Cereals Act and that storage for 500,000 sacks of flour was left empty when it might have been freely filled during the months of July and August because the Department of Agriculture would not allow us to buy?
The Deputy appears to be referring to a different matter from that to which the question relates.
The Minister says that the officers of this Department were concerned in consulting the merchants and advising them to build up supplies of essential commodities. I am now asking the Minister is he aware that merchants who sought to build up supplies of flour and to clear grain out of the elevators in order to make room for additional stores of grain were forbidden to accumulate supplies and would not be given flour during the whole month of August, with the result that on the 1st September there was not a sack of flour in any store in the country, although there was accommodation for 500,000 sacks if the merchants had been allowed to buy.
The Deputy is completely wrong in his facts. There was no restriction of any kind on the purchase of flour during August.
May I say that I asked millers to supply me with flour and was informed that they would not do so and could not do so until the end of the cereal year, which is 31st August, and that storage for 100 tons of flour in my premises was left vacant when I was prepared to fill it.
I do not know what the circumstances were affecting the Deputy's position, but I repeat that there was no restriction on the sale of flour during August, nor had anybody any power to impose such restriction.
I assure the Minister that there was a restriction imposed at the instance of the Minister for Agriculture; the millers would not sell flour because their production, quota was exhausted and they would not be allowed to supplement it until the new cereal year opened. If the Minister asks the Minister for Agriculture he will tell him that that is true.