asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the value of the stock of materials and machinery at the 31st March, 1935, or nearest available date thereto, in the hands of the Gaeltacht Industries, and what was the value of the sales of materials for the year ended 31st March, 1935.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Gaeltacht Industries.
With a view to the preparation, in a form approved by the Department of Finance, of yearly accounts of the activities of the Gaeltacht services as from the current year, a general stocktaking was carried out as at the 1st April last, the results of which are not yet available. It is, therefore, regretted that more recent figures for stocks of materials and machinery than those furnished to the Deputy on the 22nd May, 1934, cannot at present be given. The sales of the products of rural industries for the year ended 31st March last, amounted to £30,566.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say about what time the figures for those stocks will be available?
I cannot say at the moment. It will take a considerable time. A valuation must take place.
Will it take a week or a month?
Is the Parliamentary Secretary in a position to say what good reason there is for a delay of two months between the date of stocktaking and the valuation of the stock? In ordinary commercial concerns, as the Parliamentary Secretary is probably aware, such procedure takes about a week. Why should it take two months in the case of Beggars' Bush.
The staff is obviously limited, and it will take some time to go into each item, as the Deputy knows. Each item has to be valued, and that takes time, with a limited staff.
Are we to take it that, prior to the stocktaking, nobody knew the price of any article at Beggars' Bush?
Though the value of each item be known, these items, when it comes to stocktaking, have again to be valued.
That may be the case in Government business.
And in commercial business.
Fianna Fáil business.