The Minister to conclude.
Minerals Company (Amendment) Bill 1950—Second Stage (Resumed).
Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
I do not think there was any objection to the Bill as put before the House. As Deputies are aware, it is a Bill of two small sections —one to increase the limit from £50,000 to £88,000 in connection with Slievardagh, the reasons for which I explained when moving the Second Reading; and the other to make certain payments in connection with the acquisition of land and of certain rights.
Deputy Lemass, speaking on the Bill, expressed regret that the company did not find it possible to reach the full economic development at Slievardagh within the limit of £50,000. Needless to mention, that is a regret which I share, but the fact is that they were not able to do it and, in order to give them an opportunity of arriving at the output from the mine which they expect to reach within the next year and a half, which will enable them if not to make a profit at least to break even, it is necessary to give this additional £38,000. I think I did mention that, of the £38,000, the sum of approximately £10,000 would be required for the purchase of washing plant.
Deputy Lemass also mentioned that the Government had departed from his scheme of an expenditure of £85,000 a year for a period of seven years and he implied that nothing was being done along the line which was contemplated by the expenditure of that £85,000. Other Deputies spoke as if nothing was being done with regard to mineral exploration or development in the country. I am very glad to be able to tell the House that there is more activity at present regarding mineral exploration and development than at any period since this State was established and that much more mineral exploration and exploitation is being carried on by private interests than ever before in the history of the country. I want to inform the House also that in at least three of the projects which were contemplated under the expenditure of the £85,000, work which should be carried out by Mianraí, Teoranta, is, in fact, now being carried out by private interests. The silver mines in County Tipperary is one; Abbeytown in County Sligo is another; and the barytes in Cork is a third. These are being worked at the moment and the activities are being carried on by private interests.
So far as Wicklow is concerned, the position at Avoca is quite simple. The experts advised the Government that for an expenditure of approximately £120,000 they would reach a position where they could recommend as to whether further money should be expended on the developments at Avoca. If the Government is advised, when the stage of development recommended by the experts is reached, that there is a reasonable prospect of a further expenditure of money producing a desirable result, I can assure the House that that development or further exploration will not come to an end for the want of money. I think, however, that it is a reasonable thing to limit the expenditure to an amount which the experts themselves assure us will enable them to give a fuller and clearer report to us on the possibilities of Avoca than we have at present.
In view of the line taken by certain Deputies here, I want to emphasise that there is, comparatively speaking, a good deal of activity in connection with mineral exploration and development in this country—far more than we have ever had before since the State was established. I do not know that there is anything else I should say or need say at this stage, except that so far as I am concerned I am prepared to give whatever assistance I can to the development of any resources we have which are capable of development.
Deputies know—and Deputy Lemass knows, as well as I do—that there are people in this country who have the idea that because there was a mine or even an opening in the ground somewhere at some time within sight there are possibilities, even probabilities, there which should be explored at Government expense, irrespective of the cost. The Deputy is also aware that those views are held locally, in spite of the data that are at the disposal of the Government and the Geological Survey Office. It is quite true to say that certain mineral deposits which in the past were entirely uneconomic are economic to-day, not merely because prices have soared but because of the developments which have taken place as a result of research by scientists, engineers, and so on, and because in this country, where our resources are rather limited, they are nowadays in a position to segregate minerals which, probably, they were unable to do when those particular deposits were last worked.
The other point that was stressed was that I should indicate to Mianraí, Teoranta, that money for their various projects would not be easily forthcoming every time they asked for it, that they should not go along gaily in the belief that if they wanted additional money, or if their estimates were very wide of the mark, all they had to do was to make application and the money would be forthcoming. I would like to assure the House, if it is necessary to do so, that all State companies are urged to work within the limit of their original estimate or as near as possible to the estimate, and I can assure the House that no company will get additional moneys without making a very good case for it. No Minister is anxious to come to the House to look for money over and above the original amounts provided, if he can possibly avoid it.
As I have said, this is a simple Bill; there are only two sections, and I would ask the House to pass it.
Question put and agreed to.
Agreed to take remaining stages to-day.