We are faced with the outstanding fact that there is a large amount of unemployment, caused through a lack of industrial development in these areas. I feel that this may lead to even greater emigration. When I was speaking last night I made it quite clear that any criticism which I direct towards this Bill is not merely for the purpose of opposing the Bill. Anybody reading this Bill, listening to the speech made by the Tánaiste and taking into consideration the restricted activities allowed to the members of the proposed board, must be honest enough and sincere enough to admit that, even when this Bill passes through the Dáil and the Seanad and becomes law, we cannot hope to do away even with a very small margin of the unemployment that exists in these distressed areas.
The Tánaiste stated that the idea behind the Bill is to try to promote industrial activity in those areas but if we are to do so there are so many factors to be taken into consideration that we must go slowly and carefully through the whole measure and particularly through the evasive— unwittingly perhaps but nevertheless evasive—speech of the Tánaiste. Have we any hope, not to mind guarantee, that the promotion of industry in those districts will ever be successful unless all factors surrounding these suggested industries are taken into consideration? There is unemployment in these districts but there is as much unemployment in other districts which the Minister has specifically kept out of this Bill. I know that further on provision is made in the Bill that, by Order, the Minister may include other areas but that in itself makes the Bill more complicated in so far as the working of the board proposed to be set up under this Bill is concerned. It will automatically mean much slower progress in even getting so far as reaching the stage of even building factories in these districts.
In connection with the powers given to this new body, there is no provision in the Bill so far as I can see, and the Tánaiste gave us no clear indication as to what factors they are to take into consideration. We have no knowledge one way or the other here.
The Tánaiste made a statement to the effect that this board to be set up must, of necessity, give full consideration and base prior assessment on the disadvantages of any locations. I do not want to twist his words but he has not stated what considerations are to be based on the assessment of certain advantages. To me, at any rate, that means that the members of the board and even any technical advisers given to them for their assistance, will have to concentrate to the very fullest possible extent on finding what disadvantages may arise in the securing of an industry in any particular area. I cannot say when, in the life of this Parliament or any other Parliament coming after it, all the disadvantages which can be found will be even fully examined, not to mind surmounted.
We have no indication in this Bill or from the statements made as to what degree this board will be able to go to put into operation any cooperative suggestions offered by the E.C.A. technical advisers if such are forthcoming. Must the suggestions come solely from individuals or groups in the areas where industries may be promoted? The Tánaiste has stated that the board to be set up would have no power of initiation. Apparently they must wait for such moves from local bodies or local groups. Why this board are denied such powers of initiation themselves and obliged to wait for the individual or groups to come forward I do not know. The Parliamentary Secretary has been around the country. I am not objecting to that; I believe it is essential that he should have done so. He has visited various areas and suggestions have been put at his disposal by various groups in various towns all over the country, including, of course, these congested districts. Surely at this stage a full report must be available to the Government and the Tánaiste from the Parliamentary Secretary concerned.
Possibly the weakness inherent in the Bill is the fact that this board to be set up will more or less have to go slow. I do not mean that it is an advised Government policy to them but they will have to wait for individuals or groups in towns all over the congested districts and towns at the other side of that border to come forward with their schemes. That, naturally, means a holding up of the whole scheme and in spite of what the Tánaiste said last night that he was ambitious to get this Bill through the House before Christmas, and through the Seanad, I honestly believe that when it does become law we will be almost as far away from getting industries in these places as we are at the present time.
Another point that I consider requires clarification from the Tánaiste is the statement that the Bill does not apply to those industries or factories at present in the course of construction. I do not know what is behind that. I am not trying to read something drastic or something political into it but surely if this Bill is meant to be a help to those districts and those congested areas, the very first thing we should do is to see that, in the case of any industry at present in the course of construction or even with plans being prepared, if it is possible, such financial help as is necessary will be given to get them going at the earliest possible opportunity. According to the statements made it does not seem as if such help will be forthcoming.
I am yet in doubt about the statement that this Bill may, at a later stage, be applied to other areas by Minister's Orders. That, unfortunately, gives me the idea that this whole Bill and all behind it is nothing but a patchwork quilt and that the Government is trying to make people believe that we are going to give them industries in the very near future. If we are honest and truthful, we must know that it will take years before we can do it. At what stage could such powers be given? Surely they cannot be given unless and until recommendations may come from this board to be set up. Such recommendations cannot be considered from the board until such time as individuals or groups from those other areas may put forward their schemes for industries and until such time as it is found that there is a high degree of unemployment in that district. Before suggestions may come from local bodies under this Bill we are told clearly by the Tánaiste that people in those districts or areas at present excluded must not examine too closely the meaning of "congested district". Therefore, I honestly believe that, under this Bill, there is no hope and never will be any hope that the Minister, no matter what Government he may be in, will ever use the right by Order to extend this scheme or this Bill to areas outside the present areas specified in the Bill.
While we have unemployment in the areas covered by the Bill, it must be admitted that in areas adjacent to these congested districts we have unemployment not alone amongst ordinary workers but amongst a number of young people who are highly skilled. What work can we offer to these people? Must there be a continuation of emigration from these excluded districts or must these workers simply be encouraged to go from areas in which they at present reside into the so-called congested districts? To be quite candid, I cannot see that we are tackling this problem in the vigorous manner that we should. If we are to continue attempting to cure the ills that at present exist in this haphazard fashion, we shall never cure them. While the Tánaiste made it quite clear that any industries set up under this Bill will be safeguarded against competition from outside the country, we know that it will be almost impossible to protect them sufficiently to ensure their success against competition from inside the State. Are we going to delude the people to such an extent as to build these factories and, then, after they have been in operation for a few years, allow conditions to develop which will make these factories nothing but white elephants?
The Minister has mentioned various grants. It is only right to offer such advantages to people who may be prepared to start industries but while it may sound attractive to these people and to the workers who may be employed in these factories, I believe they will find in time that all they can hope for is to be enabled to postpone application for the emigration ticket for which they intended applying. They may stay another few months at home in the hope that they will not require it. The Tánaiste may think that I am trying to damn the Bill and everything connected with it but I am not. I merely want to put forward a number of suggestions, some of which may not be quite workable, but my sole desire is to make this measure an outstanding success. I believe that to achieve that, we must tackle this problem on a far bigger scale than is being attempted at present.
It is stated in the Bill that financial provision will be made for the building of factories or to defray part of the cost of the construction. There is also provision for grants up to 50 per cent. of the cost of the equipment of the factories. These provisions I believe are essential to ensure the success of the Bill. It is stated also that grants are being made available for the training of workers. That is another matter to which I should like to draw attention. First of all, where are they to be trained? Are they to be trained here in Ireland or are they to be sent across the water for training there?