Aontaím leis an gcaint a rinneadh cheana agus, dar ndóigh, leis na rudaí atá ráite ag an Aire mar gheall ar thionscail na Gaeltachta. Cuireann sé an-áthas orm ar fad go bhfuil rath ar an tionscal seo le blianta beaga anuas. Tá súil againn go léir gur mar sin a bheidh an scéal go ceann i bhfad agus go mbeidh ar chumas pé Rialtas a bheas ann, nó ar dhreamanna príobháideacha, tionscail níos fearr ná iad a bhunú.
Tá dul chun cinn inste ag an Aire mar gheall ar beagnach gach rud a bhaineas leis an bhFo-Roinn seo. I gcás ceann nó dhó acu tá mé ag ceapadh gur ceart dúinn bheith cúramach. Cuirim i gcás, ceist seo an bhréidín. Nuair chonnaic mé an figiúir atá sa leabhar, go raibh £40,000 sa bhreis á sholáthar i mbliana le hábhar a sholáthar don tionscal seo, bhí sort aimhris orm i dtosach gur i ngeall ar an bpraghas níos aoirde a bhí le fáil ar na rudaí seo a bhí an scéal amhlaidh. Bhí sé sásúil a chloisint ón Aire gur i ngeall ar an méadú a bhí ar an tóir orthu a bhí an scéal amhlaidh.
Dar ndóigh, tá figiúir eile a thugann lide dhúinn faoi sin. Faoi Mhír D. 6 tá laghdú £2,000 ar chostas na fógraíochta. Arís, bhí sort aimhris orm go raibh an Roinn seo ag éirí ar nós cuma liom i dtaobh earraí na hEireann agus earraí na Gaeltachta a fhógairt sna tíortha coigríche. Míníodh é sin arís, gur i ngeall ar an tóir mhór atá ar na hearraí seo atá an scéal amhlaidh agus go bhfuil na hearraí seo beagnach á ndíol féin, as a maitheas féin agus as ucht, bfhéidir, ganntanas earraí de gach aon tsórt. Arís, tá sin sásúil. Nuair a bhíonn "sellers market" ann—sin focal a chualamar minic go leor i rith na hEigeandála—tá an baol i gcónaí ann go laghdófar ar fheabhas na déantúsóireachta agus ar fheabhas na margála agus go mbeidh an tAire, an fo-Roinn agus gach duine atá freagarthach, ar a suaimhneas, agus go gceapfaidh siad go bhfuil na hearraí seo a ndíol féin. Ní dóigh liom go mbeadh sé ceart ná cóir ag na hoibritheoirí, na stiúrthoirí agus na hoifigigh a bhfuil baint acu leis na tionscail seo cúrsaí déantúsóireachta do ghabháil go réidh.
Ar aon chaoi, is maith an scéal é ag gach taobh den Teach seo nach rud obann é seo—nach rud é a tharla le fíor-dheireannas. An scéal maith seo atá innste ag an Aire is breá gur rud é a bhí ag fás do réir a chéile le blianta beaga anuas. Is fearr an scéal a bheith amhlaidh ná fás obann, ar nós díol na mbeithíoch le tamall anuas, agus go bhfuil an scéal ag éirí níos fearr dá réir a chéile. B'fhearr liomsa an do-réira-chéileacht sin ná aon fhás obann.
I wish to endorse what other speakers have said in expressing satisfaction about the steady and continuous improvement in the benefits which are administered by this sub-Department and to endorse the view also that the direction of the services must inevitably earn its own share of the praise for the progress that has been made as well as the other favourable circumstances in relation to easier marketing which have been mentioned.
With regard to specific services, I would like to support what Deputy Derrig said in relation to Gaeltacht housing, that it is reasonably satisfactory. Some of these households have availed themselves of the sanitary facilities which are now supported by free grant. In that connection, I should like to inquire whether Gaeltacht Services have ever had any contact or collaboration with the tourist board in relation to a provision in one of the Tourist Acts whereby loans would be provided to enable people in the Gaeltacht areas to improve and extend their houses so that they might take advantage of at least some of the tourist industry and at the same time that the facilities for people living outside the Gaeltacht to spend holidays in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht and improve their children's knowledge of Irish would be increased.
I am not aware of any extended use having been made in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht or Breac-Ghaeltacht of the provisions which were then provided under the Tourist Act. Perhaps the housing services of Gaeltacht Services might, in fact, be better able to administer such a service. Whoever might be chosen to administer it, it seems to me that the idea is a good one, a laudable one from any aspect from which one might look at it, and I would ask the Minister to try, either through the agency of his own Department or through that of Industry and Commerce, to see that it is revived and put into effective use.
There has been a very satisfactory increase in the number of houses provided under the Gaeltacht Housing Section, but I am sure the Minister, and certainly his advisers, are aware of one governing factor in relation to this matter and that is that the county council gives as much money again by way of grant as is given by Gaeltacht Services. Instead of a man having to depend on a £250 grant he now gets £500. The Minister's Department in recent months have in fact sent some of their officials into the various Gaeltachts to clear up whatever arrears of work existed there at the request and for the benefit, so far as I know, of the county council housing schemes. Galway County Council issued a notice about six months ago that they would not entertain any further applications for housing grants after March this year, but would deal with all applications received during the last financial year. I have not seen any late development in relation to this matter, but the public are entitled to expect from the notice that has been given, that no further supplementary grant will be paid by Galway County Council.
That being so, the Minister, I am sure, must expect that expenditure on the Gaeltacht Services will drop; I cannot see how it can possibly increase because I know from my own experience that very few Fíor-Ghaeltacht applicants will undertake the building of new houses on a grant of £250 if the county council, as is apparently its intention, is going to stop giving these supplementary grants.
The increase in the amount provided for grants under this Estimate is to be welcomed, but I hope that the Minister will, by legislation if necessary, see that these moneys will be spent. What I refer to is this: If in fact the Galway County Council puts into effect a notice it has already given that supplementary grants will cease, that the Minister will increase the grant now payable to Fíor-Gaeltacht applicants so that this desirable work of Fíor-Ghaeltacht housing can be continued. I do not have to tell him that very few people will be able to undertake the erection of houses if the supplementary grant is not available.
In relation to that, there is one other big difficulty for a number of people— I do not say it applies in all cases, but it does apply in a number of them— and that is the ability of applicants to get the initial quantity of materials which enables a man to begin building operations. They go into Galway and have the official sanction in their pockets and ask to be given on credit a certain quantity of materials. In recent times the builders' suppliers have been refusing these quantities of materials unless they receive a down payment of £100.
I think I am right when I say— although my statement has been denied officially recently—that the practice used to be that once a man was given a housing sanction an official of the housing section placed the order with the supplier and because an official placed it the goods were sent out to the applicant who was able there and then to start operations. As a matter of fact that was the big attraction of a Gaeltacht housing grant as compared with a local government housing grant and it was not the difference in the amount of the grant which is only about £15. The real attraction was the facility afforded in the delivery of the stuff on the site on the order of Gaeltacht Services.
I have been told by some official source—I cannot recollect which—that that was not the practice at any time, but I have been inquiring in my constituency, and I have been told by people who have had some contact with this problem that it was so. However, I do not want to argue on that minor point, but I would like the Minister to say that in the administration of this very useful service whatever improvements have been found in practice to be necessary will be introduced and applied. That is one difficulty which I have outlined for the Minister and it is a very real difficulty. It seems to me he will have to increase the Gaeltacht housing grants if the county council supplementary grant is withdrawn and it therefore seems that a larger increase than £10,000 will be necessary.
I do not think the Minister will have any difficulty in having a proposal of that kind adopted by the House. I commend these remarks with regard to Gaeltacht housing to his favourable and early consideration. Perhaps he might verify by inquiring from the county manager or the county secretary of Galway and other Gaeltacht county councils what the intention is in each of these counties and he would then be better able to decide what changes, if any, it would be necessary to introduce into Gaeltacht housing administration.
I have been very interested in the remarks of Deputy Derrig and Deputy J. Brennan about the tweed industry. My only regret in regard to it is that it seems to be concentrated in one area. Deputy Brennan had a complaint somewhat similar in relation to marine products industries and he seemed to think that we had a monopoly of them down South. Perhaps Gaeltacht Services may be regionalising their various industries and if that is the case and if they have good reason for it I would not offer too great an objection, but I think, seeing that there is a boom—as has been admitted on all sides—in tweed and that there is a good demand which, so far as anyone can see, is likely to continue, the Minister should seriously explore the possibility of extending the tweed industry to other areas and continue the good work, which was more evident in previous years, of training apt and likely young lads in, say, weaving and spinning.
With regard to the knitting side of the industry, I want to express a complaint on behalf of some of the girls engaged in the industry. Where there is not a finishing machine, after the girls have spent their day on the knitting, they take home the work they have produced during the day in the knitting centre. The finishing is done by hand very often up to 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock at night in districts which have not yet got the benefit of rural electrification. The work is very severe on the eyes of even these youngsters and it does have the effect of extending the hours of operation by anything from 30 to 40 per cent. I think that is too long and I know that it has had the effect of sending some of these girls off to other employment elsewhere.
It is the "elsewhere" that we always object to and the great advantage of these industries was that there was not any "elsewhere" necessary, that they had it right near their own homes, and that that most undesirable form of emigration, namely, of young girls, was checked to some extent. I want to appeal as strongly as I can to the Minister to ensure that no one who wears a pair of socks made in a Gaeltacht knitting centre will be able to say that he is wearing a pair of socks produced by sweated labour or labour that is over-worked and under-paid.
I do not want to suggest that this position which I have outlined is typical or general. I came across it in just one or two centres and the explanation given is understandable— that it is not easy to get these finishing machines. It may have been righted since I last got the complaint, and, if it has, I shall be very glad to hear it, but I would ask that the Department do everything they can to get an adequate supply of these machines as quickly as possible, so that none of these girls will have to work a half hour after they leave the centre unless they so choose themselves.
In connection with knitting, on one or two occasions, I have asked that home work be provided for girls or for girls who have been employed and who have got married and want to continue their earning, that some system might be devised to foster home work of that kind and that the marketing facilities of the Department be made available to them. I know that it is not easy for the officials to organise a developmen of that sort without help, but now that Bantracht na Tuatha, the Irish Countrywomen's Association—and I am sure there are other bodies that would also help—are in existence in a great many of these areas, their services might be requested to help in the extension of this employment in the knitting industry. It is well to know that these girls and young married women are prepared to carry on this work and to do it in their own time, without being herded into a centre supervised by a Departments appointee. Such a development would produce very good results, and, if there is a book in these goods, as has been said, it seems to me that the present time might be opportune to try out a development along these lines.
I should like the Minister to say what finished articles are made from the semi-processed raw materials which we send out from our marine-processing factories. We have only one under official control in Kilkerrin, but none of us not intimately associated with the Department is aware what the final products produced from these raw materials are. I have no doubt at all that the Minister's advisers have examined the possibilities of carrying on these further processes here in Ireland, and that, if it is possible to carry out all the stages of processing to the final finished articles, the Department officials are well equal to the task of taking advantage of any favourable conditions which would help to bring about that desirable position; but it would be well if the Minister would inform the public, through the House, about the difficulties of having these raw materials processed to the last stage, because there is a good deal of comment on the fact that we half process sea-rods and other forms of seaweed and send out a very useful and valuable raw material to other countries and that they, in fact, reap the big harvest from their exploitation.
Would the Minister inform myself as to how the Spiddal toy factory is getting on? One unit of it, which was located at Casla, some miles further west, was accidentally burned down some years ago, and all the activities then concentrated in Spiddal. I am aware that one part of the process there was dropped and that there is only one kind of toy being made there now, or at least one type of material being used in the making of these toys, and that the lead article has been dropped altogether. Perhaps the Minister would give me some information about it.
Under sub-head G, Miscellaneous Services, there is a reference to boat-building and repair, that is, loans for boat-building and repair. I should like to request that the good offices of this Department be used to try to induce the Department of Education to initiate a scheme under their vocational education services for instructing young men and boys in boat-building and boat-repairing. Only one stretch of the coast has been brought to my attention in this connection but the educational services in the matter might be of interest in other stretches of the coast as well. I am referring now to the South Connemara coast, west of Spiddal.
From time immemorial, there has always been a big traffic in turf across Galway Bay. Prior to the advent of the lorry, North Clare used to get its turf supplies from Connemara in "hookers". The trade to North Clare has practically disappeared with the advent of the motor lorry but the Aran Islands still depend on the availability of "hookers" to get their supplies of turf. We who represent those areas would wish to avoid the necessity of calling in Bord na Móna to supply the Aran Islands with the turf produced in Attymon. That would mean much longer land transport to the waterside than is now the case and, in any event, the direct personal contact between buyer and seller would undergo a very big change. Each of these householders in the islands has his own supplier. They know each other for a long time and the trade is well established by practice and tradition. Inevitably it must cease if the number of boats along the Connemara coast is not maintained.
I have been told that the number of boatwrights has dwindled away—and when I use the word "boatwrights" I am to include men who are capable of carrying out repairs on these boats. I have been told that there is a real need for instruction—which need not be for over a very long period—in that particular subject along certain sections of the coast. The matter is apposite because under "Miscellaneous Services" there is available assistance for the purchase and repair of turf boats. If the knowledge of building and repairing these boats disappears the desire to buy one of them would also disappear because nobody is going to undertake the maintenance of a boat if, in fact, he knows nothing about it.
When I was referring to the desirability of establishing the manufacture of the goods marketed by Gaeltacht Services in the homes I should have adverted to item 1 under sub-head G, Loans for the Purchase of Machines and Equipment for Rural Industries. I should like to suggest that the facility provided there would be advertised and made available to as many applicants as possible, if the Department can get the machines. From my inquiries, I seem to have the impression that it is not easy to get them. However, if they become readily available I would ask that a serious effort be made to increase the home use of such machines.
I think I can finish very shortly by one reference to sub-head H— Appropriations-in-Aid. Item 1 gives receipts from sales of products of rural industries as £500,030 and under the same paragraph at (a) workers' wages are given as £131,300. I should like to suggest to the Minister that the gap between these two figures might be reduced. I think a serious effort ought to be made to ensure that the actual workers get a larger proportion of that £500,030 than the £131,300 which the Minister now reports. I do not want to offer uninformed criticism now but it does seem to me to be a matter that requires careful and sympathetic consideration—and sympathetic consideration in so far as these hand workers are concerned. If the Minister can improve the share which the workers get out of these appropriations he will confer a very real benefit on the persons for whom, primarily, these industries were established. I commend that matter to the Minister's careful consideration and I have no doubt but that it will get it.
Notice taken that 20 Deputies were not present; House counted and 20 Deputies being present.