asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state (1) when the commission on emigration was appointed; (2) the number of times it met and the location of the meetings; (3) the dates of the first and the last meetings; (4) when the report will be published, and (5) whether there was a minority report and, if so, if it will be published.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commission on Emigration.
Major de Valera
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state when the report of the commission on emigration will be available.
I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Comhairle, to answer Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
I would like to point out to the House that the commission in question was set up to consider emigration and other problems and that emigration is, therefore, but one of its interests. I am informed by the commission that a draft of the report prepared as a result of a series of meetings of its drafting committee is under active examination and I have asked that everything possible be done to expedite its completion.
I have no information as to whether there will be any minority report.
The commission was appointed on the 5th April, 1948, and has held 77 full meetings in Árus Brugha, 9-10 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin, in addition to numerous meetings of committees and sub-committees. The first meeting of the commission was held on 22nd April, 1948, and the last one on 30th November, 1950; a formal meeting is due to take place on next Thursday, the 26th instant. I may add, however, that a drafting committee has been meeting twice a week regularly since July last.
Does the Minister agree now that the promise to stop emigration overnight has not been fulfilled?
This commission has nothing to do with stopping emigration overnight. This commission was set up to inquire into emigration and other population problems. Emigration is only one aspect of its investigations. Its investigations cover a wide range of problems which have not, so far, been examined in this new State. This commission of talented citizens has been set the task of inquiring into these problems and I hope that its report will be a valuable one for all parties and for every section of the community.
Does the Minister expect to get its report before he goes out of office?
I do, and even to implement it before that happens.
Is the Tánaiste aware that the Fianna Fáil alternative is to continue to live on poor law relief?
The Coalition's alternative to doing something about emigration is to have a commission go out to inquire. They will go out quicker than they ever did in their lives. This is another bit of Coalition bluff.