I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £8,000 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1942, chun Oifig Thaighde Eolaíochta Ré na Práinne, maraon le Deontas-igCabhair.
That a sum not exceeding £8,000 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1942, for the Emergency Scientific Research Bureau, including a Grant-in-Aid.
Deputies will recollect that the Emergency Scientific Research Bureau, which was set up on the 20th February last, was financed up to the 31st March by means of a new Estimate for £1,450. The contemplated outlay for the whole of the current year is £12,000.
As I explained when last year's Estimate was before the Dáil, the bureau is an advisory body attached to the Department of the Taoiseach, and has been established by the Government in view of the restrictions arising from the emergency on imports of essential commodities and raw materials. It will deal primarily with the technical problems involved in the provision of substitute processes and materials during the period of the emergency.
Its terms of reference are as follows:—
(1) To give technical advice to the Government on such special problems relating to industrial processes and the use of substitute materials as may be referred to it.
(2) To advise the Government generally on the use of native or other materials to meet the deficiencies caused by the restriction of imported raw materials and commodities.
(3) To direct or conduct special researches and inquiries connected with the above.
This emergency body was not intended to take over the ordinary duties and functions of the Industrial Research Council. It was intended solely to investigate promptly and advise on exceptional problems which demand immediate attention in the circumstances of the moment arising out of the interruption of our normal supplies. It was not intended that its investigations should be on a long term basis, but rather that it should confine itself to difficulties which there are grounds for hoping can be overcome either partially or wholly within a reasonable time.
For some time past, and before the foundation of the bureau, the question of the reorganisation of industrial research has been under consideration, but, to give effect to this, new legislation would probably be necessary, and this would require a good deal of preparation and would take an appreciable time to complete, particularly as most of the Departments which would be concerned are fully engaged on other emergency work. It is in these circumstances that it has been decided to set up an ad hoc body, rather than to make use of the Industrial Research Council, which, as at present constituted, is not well adapted to deal with the immediate problems confronting the State.
The Estimate itself is divided into two sub-heads. Sub-head A provides for honoraria and incidental expenses. The honoraria, which are at the rate of £300 a year for each of the five members of the bureau, amount to £1,500, and the incidental expenses, which include travelling expenses, etc., for members of the bureau, amount to £500. The second sub-head B is a grant-in-aid of investigation and research and amounts to £10,000. This sum is intended to cover all outlay in connection with investigations and researches, including remuneration, travelling expenses and subsistence allowances of investigators, purchase or hire of equipment, and so on.
Since its institution the bureau has set on foot investigations covering a very wide field. As many of them—in fact most of them—are at present incomplete, I do not propose to refer to them in detail. The Dáil may, however, wish to have a general outline of the matters which are under consideration. Particular attention has been given to the production of alternatives to petrol for road transport. These investigations are concerned in the main with the manufacture of fuel for producer plants. Experimental work is also being undertaken for the purpose of improving the efficiency of producer plants themselves. A scheme for the manufacture of turf charcoal as a fuel for producer plants is under active consideration. Carbonisation experiments on turf are being carried out at the Dublin and Dundalk gas works, but the results so far have been disappointing. It has been decided, however, to continue the experiments in view of the importance of the problem. Information has also been collected on the use of town gas and by-products from gas manufacture as alternatives to petrol for road transport. As regards town gas itself, the production of which depends on imported coal, of which future supplies cannot be assured, an investigation is proceeding into the possibility of utilising wood or peat as substitutes for the imported material. Experiments are also proceeding in regard to the regeneration of used lubricating oils, which are, of course, essential to a greater or lesser degree in every industry.
Successful experiments have been carried out on the production of certain materials necessary for the tanning industry—materials which can no longer be imported. The possibilities of seaweed and kelp as sources of various materials likely to be in short supply are being examined. The bureau has also examined the possibility of the use of sewage sludge as manure, and has reported that this material has little or no value as a fertiliser. The question of the manufacture of pulp for paper making is also under examination.
An endeavour is also being made to utilise native sources of supplies of sulphur dioxide, starch, glucose, gelatine and certain acids used in the manufacture of confectionery, and there is a prospect of getting some of the country's needs of these commodities. Arrangements have been made to carry out an investigation on the value of effluents from certain textile factories, with a view to seeing whether it can be usefully recovered. Assistance is being given in the manufacture of carbon dioxide for mineral waters, and at least one well-known firm which was about to close down for lack of supplies of this gas will now be able to continue production. Problems relating to a number of other matters have also been examined by the bureau; for example: soap making, meat extracts, refrigeration, textiles, ropes, cutlery, matches and so on.
Members of the bureau are in constant touch with the Department of Supplies and the Department of Industry and Commerce, and are attending conferences with representatives of various industries which are being organised by the former Department. In addition, the bureau has interviewed representatives of numerous firms in connection with their individual problems. In conclusion, I should like to warn the House not to expect sensational results from the work of the bureau. At best, it can only assist in the production of substitutes for imported materials, and the extent to which it can do this is restricted in many cases by reason of the fact that our native resources in many commodities are strictly limited.
