asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will have published without further delay, the report of the committee which conducted the bread and flour inquiry, or, alternatively, that part of the report which deals with the subsidy on wheatenmeal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flour and Bread Inquiry.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether he has received a report from the committe of investigation into the flour and bread subsidy and, if so, whether he will make it available.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 36 together.
The report of the committee has been received. The Government have not yet completed their examination of the recommendations made in it, and until then a decision regarding publication of the report is being deferred.
Does the Minister recall in regard to the last dispute in the bakery trade in Dublin that one of the factors which led to its settlement was the intimation that there would be an inquiry into the trade? Workers in the trade feel that they are producing cheap bread for the public at comparatively low rates of wages. If the results of the inquiry are not made available there will be a feeling on the part of the workers that there has been a breach of faith in so far as they held their hand to find out whether the trade could afford to pay them at a rate comparable to other skilled workers.
I am sure that the Deputy is aware that there is no feeling that there has been a breach of faith. The Government did set up an inquiry, an exhaustive inquiry, which has made a voluminous and valuable report but the report requires very careful consideration. I can assure the Deputy that the Government themselves are more anxious than any other section of the community to give effect to it as soon as possible.
Would the Minister bear in mind the particular position as far as workers in the trade are concerned apart from the aspect of making the report available to the public?
Can the Minister say when we will have the report from the Government?
If I would be allowed to get back to the question, is the Minister aware that the Wheatenmeal Millers' Association were never consulted by this committee before it made its recommendations to the public? Is it desirable in the public interest that such committees or commissions of inquiry into questions of public interest should make reports or findings without consulting those best able to give evidence and whose interests would be adversely affected?
If what the Deputy alleged happened I am sure that it was not the first time.
That is no justification for its happening now.
There should be no action or recommendation on the report until it is published.
I have given no undertakings at all.
Is the Minister aware that his Parliamentary Secretary informed the Dáil last week that the withdrawal of the wheatenmeal subsidy was due to reasons advanced by the committee which he did not give and of which the House is not aware? How can this House consider that a justification of the action of the Government without seeing the report?
That is a misinterpretation of what I said. I said that this action was one of the results of the consideration of the report.
For reasons which were not given to the House.
As far as the Deputy is concerned, the publication of the report will be too soon whenever it is published.
Would the Minister agree that it is bad public policy generally that action should be taken or even contemplated on the subject matter of reports such as these without the report being published?
Question No. 37.