Vol. 191 No. 9
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £134,200 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, 1962, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Central Statistics Office.
Has the Minister anything to say in relation to the provision of more modern electronic and similar machinery which I understood was being made available at some time for the Central Statistics Office? Has it been ordered, and if so, when is it promised for delivery?
That question of mechanisation generally is being considered by a Committee of Civil Service Departments and they have made certain progress. I mentioned on the Budget Speech, for instance, we expect to have an electronic apparatus.
That was the one for collecting the money. I want one for collecting the figures.
That will come, too. I cannot say when.
Can the Minister give us any estimate of the cost?
No, not at the moment.
The Minister should go easy on this kind of thing. I have seen these machines introduced in local authorities. They have displaced men. They have been purchased at enormous cost. They have been brought from Germany and other countries to displace Irish workers. I am not saying that the Minister should banish from his mind the idea of introducing these machines now if they are necessary but he should also have regard to the effect they might have on Irish workers.
Could I point out to the Minister that it is about 15 years since a full report on the census of industrial production was made? That is a report which gives comparable figures one year with another for industrial production. Industrialists go to very considerable trouble to provide the necessary data for the compilation of these statistics and the manner in which the information is made available to the public is not at present satisfactory. I would ask the Minister to look into the matter.
With regard to the census of industrial production, the annual reports appear, as the Deputy is aware, in the Trade Journal.
Yes.
There is no regular publication devoted to the census but occasional volumes are produced covering a number of years together. The most recent was that covering the years 1948 to 1953. There should be one nearly due now, I agree with the Deputy.
As regards the question put by Deputy Corish, I certainly would not agree, and I am sure no Minister would agree, to expenditure on a machine like that unless it was going to create a very big economy. Obviously, he would not spend, let us say, exactly as much as it would save in labour. Also, of course, we must have regard to efficiency, perhaps getting a thing out quickly.
I appreciate that but I am just asking the Minister to keep, as I am sure he will, the other aspects in mind.
Yes.
