asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the names of the various commissions or committees of inquiry at present in existence, and who either have not yet reported, or whose report has not yet been published; and if he will state in respect of each, the date upon which the commission or committee was set up, when it is expected that (a) its report will be presented, and/or (b) its report will be made public.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reports of Commissions.
As the reply is somewhat lengthy, I will, with the Deputy's permission, circulate it with the Official Report.
The reply is as follows:—
It is assumed that the Deputy is not concerned with the commissions or committees of a permanent or quasi-permanent character, such as the Irish Manuscripts Commission or the Central Savings Committee or with departmental advisory bodies. Subject to this assumption, the commissions or committees of inquiry at present in existence are:—
(1) The Commission on Vocational Organisation, which was set up on 17th January, 1939, and is at present engaged in the taking of evidence. I am unable to say when its report will be presented;
(2) The Commission of Inquiry into Land Drainage, which was set up on the 15th October, 1938, and presented an interim report in March, 1939. The commission's final report has not yet been received, but it is understood to be in course of preparation. It is not possible to indicate precisely when it will be presented;
(3) The Commission on Agriculture, which was set up on the 19th January, 1939, presented in August, 1939, an interim report on the pigs and bacon industries, which has been published, and within the last week sent in a second interim report on silage which is under consideration. Further inquiries are contemplated and it is, therefore, not possible to forecast when the commission's labours will end or what further reports will be presented;
(4) The Summer Time Committee, which was set up on the 6th March, 1940, has only commenced its inquiry and it is not possible to forecast when its report will be presented;
(5) The Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust Committee, which was set up on the 6th March, 1940, is expected to present its report in the near future;
(6) The Town Tenants' (Occupational Tenancies) Tribunal, which was set up on the 5th February, 1936, has not yet presented its report and it is not possible to say when it will do so;
(7) The Fruit and Vegetables Tribunal, which was set up on the 21st March, 1935, is expected to present its report within the next few months.
The question of publishing the reports of these various bodies will be considered in due course.