asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of (a) new industries, and (b) extensions to existing industries, which have come into production in the period from 18th February, 1948, to 30th October, 1950.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Expansion.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the number of factories which were opened in the country since February, 1948, and the total number employed therein, and (b) of these factories, how many were opened in Connaught, giving the number for each county and the total employment provided in the province.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together.
The terms "factories" and "industries" are very broad. Excluding very small units, which could technically be described as factories, the number on record as having been started during the period 18th February, 1948, to 31st October, 1950, is 156. Of these, nine are in Connaught, there being five in County Galway, two in County Sligo, two in County Mayo, and none in Counties Roscommon and Leitrim.
Employment is a variable quantity and it is not possible to give up-to-date employment figures without making a special inquiry in each case. At an estimate, the figure represented by the 156 factories in question might be put at approximately 4,000 of which about 150 would be attributable to the Connaught concerns.
Extensions of existing industries take place in the normal course, and I am not in a position to give the number of such cases.
Am I to take it that out of approximately 156 new schemes or new industries of a sort, that have been established since February, 1948, the large number of nine have been established in the province of Connaught? In view of that, might I ask the Parliamentary Secretary if it is Government policy to establish industries in those areas—especially in the West of Ireland—where the labour pool is readily available to absorb the unemployed and from where, for so many years past, the trend of emigration has been so heavy?
The Government policy on that matter has been stated on a number of occasions. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, there are no statutory powers under which the Government can direct the establishment of industries in particular localities.
Is it not sticking out a mile that, as far as the West of Ireland is concerned, it is still the same neglected baby that it was under the previous Administration?
We took powers to do it.
You did nothing about it, though.
Read the debates and see the attitude that that Government took.