Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1954

Vol. 149 No. 1

Committee on Finance. - Vote 49—Gaeltacht Services.

Mr. Blowick

I move:—

That a sum not exceeding £142,900 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1955, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Gaeltacht Services, including Housing Grants.

The current year's Estimate shows an increase of £93,400 over that of last year and it will be observed that this increase is mainly due to an increase in the amount necessary for the purchase of manufacturing materials for the rural industries.

The activities of the Gaeltacht Services Division to which I shall refer in this statement are the rural industries, the marine products industries and the administration of the Gaeltacht Housing Acts.

Sub-heads D (1) to D (8) show an increase of more than £100,000 in the provision for the rural industries as against the amount provided last year but account must be taken of the fact that at the beginning of last year the division had on hands a reserve of manufacturing and other materials, valued at approximately £86,000. These materials were used during the year and there was no corresponding reserve on hands at the beginning of the current year. Therefore the true increase in provision for the rural industries is approximately £14,600.

Provision for the purchase of machinery for the various rural industries is made under sub-head D (1). Approximately a quarter of this provision is for the maintenance of the machinery at present in use in the various centres but about £24,000 is being provided for new machinery and of this amount some £13,000 is intended for machinery for the spinning mill at Kilcar and for the manufacture of weaving looms to be installed in the mart which is at present being built in Glencolumkille. It may be mentioned here that the position of the handwoven tweed industry continues to improve as foreign markets are being developed and that the total sales of these tweeds by Gaeltarra Éireann increased from about £110,000 in 1952-53 to more than £170,000 in 1953-54.

Sub-head D (2) which provides for the purchase of manufacturing materials, shows an increase of more than £97,000 but when one takes into account the fact that more than £84,000 worth of reserve stock was available at the beginning of last year it will be seen that the true increase in provision is about £13,000.

Of this increase about £12,000 is due to increased provision of manufacturing materials for the handwoven tweed industry.

The provision for fuel for the tweed industry, which is being made under sub-head D (4), shows a decrease of some £1,400. This saving has been made possible by the provision of E.S.B. current to the Kilcar Spinning Mill which has reduced fuel costs considerably.

It will be noted that the provision for freight which is being made for the tweed industry is more than double that which had been made last year. It was found during the last 12 months that the provision of £3,000 was quite inadequate for the despatch of the large quantities of tweeds which were being exported to America and the Continent of Europe.

While the provision for advertising and publicity shows a reduction as against last year's Estimate, the amount actually spent last year was just under £7,000 and consequently this year's provision of £8,000 is considered to be adequate.

Provision for payment of wages of workers in the rural industries is made under sub-head H since these workers are paid out of receipts. Payment is mostly by piece rate and consequently it depends on the output of the workers themselves. The total estimated payment for the current year is £112,000 which is the largest sum that has ever been provided for wages of workers in the rural industries and exceeds last year's provision by nearly £20,000.

Sub-head E makes provision for the marine industries which comprise mainly the purchase of sea-roads and other seaweeds from gatherers around the western coast, and the development of the carrageen industry.

The sea-rods and certain other types of seaweed are sold to the firm of Alginate Industries (Ireland) Limited. The State has a controlling interest in this company, holding more than half the shares, and the accounts of the company for the year ended on the 30th September, 1953, were laid on the Table of the House in February last.

The sum provided for the purchase of sea-rods and seaweeds this year is £16,175, as against £19,800 provided for this purpose last year. The reduction is due to the fact that purchases of sea-rods must be adjusted according to the requirements of Messrs. Alginate Industries, Limited. There is no alternative market for these products. The sum provided for the purchase of carrageen, namely £2,750, is the same as that provided for this purpose last year.

Sub-head F shows an increase of £8,500 in the provision for grants to be paid under the Gaeltacht Housing Acts. There has been an increase in housing activities as compared with the position a year ago, and more houses are now in course of erection and more are being improved. In addition, the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act, 1953, provided for grants for special extensions to dwelling-houses and for the provision of water and sewerage, and these grants are now being availed of.

Receipts are dealt with under sub-head H, and it is expected that a total sum of £425,000 will be received this year from the sales of products of the rural industries. This sum exceeds the total which was expected according to last year's Estimate by more than £55,000. The expected fall of some £6,000 in the receipts from the sale of seaweeds and sea-rods follows the decrease in the expenditure which is expected in the case of these products.

In this statement I have referred especially to the progress which has been made in the development of the markets for handwoven tweeds but I would like to mention also that a general improvement is evident in the case of all the rural industries. In 1952 the knitwear industry went through a very difficult period and the workers had to be employed on a half-time basis during most of the year but subsequently there was a great improvement in conditions and that improvement has been maintained.

The toy industry is also showing satisfactory progress and sales of toys increased by more than £10,000 last year as against the sales made in the preceding year. Last year's sales figure of £74,967 is the highest on record. It is hoped that these favourable conditions will continue during the present year.

Seán Ó Loingsigh

Ní dóigh liom gur gá dhom mórán a rá ach ba mhaith liom tagairt a dhéanamh don mhéadú atá tagtha ar an margadh do bhréidíní. Tá súil agam go leanfaidh sé ar aghaidh ós rud é go gcuireann sé daoine ag obair, go mór mhór i gContae Dhún na nGall. Ní rabhas sa Tigh nuair do thosnaigh an tAire ar a ráiteas, ach is dóigh liom gur dhein sé tagairt do chúrsaí tithíochta is feamna. Tá dul chun cinn déanta sna rudaí sin leis agus tá súil agam go leanfaidh sé.

I do not think it is necessary for me to speak at any length on this Estimate. The most noteworthy factor in last year's activities in relation to the Gaeltacht Services Division was the welcome increase that has taken place in regard to the sale of tweeds.

I think that is a trend that will continue for many years to come. As well as I recollect, the Minister, in the course of his statement, said that the sales of tweeds during the past year have been the highest ever in the history of the division. It would be rather presumptuous of me if I tried to claim any credit for that during my administration of this particular office. I realise quite well that world trends and world fashions had much to say in that respect because our increased sales have been due to the fact that the tweeds manufactured in the Gaeltacht, particularly by the factories and by the outdoor workers in the Gaeltacht Services Division, have now established for themselves a very high place in the fashion markets of the world. That is a trend which, I hope, will continue. It is one that will call for the very highest standards of workmanship in order to meet the demand in sufficient quantities. The market is largely found in America and also in some European countries. There is a saying—I do not know who was the originator of it—that, to meet and maintain the American "one has to deliver yesterday for orders placed to-day."

That, unfortunately, is one of the main difficulties in the Gaeltacht Services Division. As the Minister knows, the principal factory is the one in Kilcar, and it has been adapted and expanded to meet the demands made on it. Shortly before this Government left office proposals were in hand for the improvement of many of the Gaeltacht Services factories. I hope that nothing will prevent these improvements being carried out because, as the Minister knows, without giving the workers the very best facilities with which to work it will be very difficult for them to meet the demand.

With regard to the seaweed industry, it is unfortunate that there has been a falling off in the demand for sea-rods. That, too, has been dictated by world demands. The Minister may remember that, in the course of the first debate that I handled on that side of the House, I mentioned the possible development and use of ascophyllum. He probably has already discovered that a start was made last summer in that direction, and that the result of the manufacture and marketing of seaweed meal has been very encouraging in the past year. Hence, as long as the sea-rod industry is rather in the doldrums there is there at least a very good alternative. In fact, it might well be that it is a better alternative, or, perhaps, I should say a better avenue in regard to production than the sea-rods, which was the original industry in that line when that work started in the Gaeltacht Services Division.

With regard to Gaeltacht housing, I think that the progress made has been fairly satisfactory. The new departure made under the last Gaeltacht Housing Act in regard to providing grants for additional accommodation to houses in the Gaeltacht, as well as for the installation of sewerage and water services, has met with a very good initial response from Gaeltacht householders, so far as these particular services are concerned. As the Minister knows, the primary object of that Act was to create better and more facilities for the people going to the Gaeltacht areas, particularly for those going there to learn the language. In the past, one of the big problems in regard to organising these summer courses in Irish was related to the inadequacy of facilities for lodging the young students who went to those areas to learn the language. A start has now been made in the hope that householders in the Gaeltacht will be enabled to provide more adequate accommodation for these young students.

I do not think there is anything more that I could usefully say at this stage in addition to what the Minister has already said, except to express the hope that the boom in the tweed industry to which he has referred will continue, and that the improved facilities which had been planned for the Gaeltacht Services factories will be allowed to continue. I hope that the Minister will, if possible, ensure that the greatest expedition will take place in the execution of that work.

I referred earlier to the output of Gaeltacht tweeds and said that the market is largely found for them in America, Austria and Germany. I think that this nation should not be dependent alone on these markets for the Gaeltacht tweeds made by the residents of the Gaeltacht. In view of the fact that the people working in the Gaeltacht factories have now achieved a world-wide reputation for these products, our people at home should make greater use of them. We should make sure, if we are serious at all in trying to rehabilitate the Gaeltacht and in providing work for the people there, that our people at home will do their part by demanding as many of these Gaeltacht-made articles as they can possibly use. It is very important, and will be more important in the event of any falling-off in world demands, that the home market should be extended to the utmost extent. There is need in that respect for goodwill and co-operation between those in the western districts and the people in our towns and cities. I should say that without that co-operation it will not be possible to ensure that the degree of employment given in the industry will be maintained over a long period. I will conclude by expressing the sincere hope that the Minister will do his best to expand the foreign markets and, in particular, the home market for Gaeltacht tweeds.

Question put and agreed to.