asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if his attention has been drawn to the published report that Peamount Sanatorium Industries are about to close down, and if, to prevent loss and damage to the health of those being provided for in that institution, he will state the Government's intentions in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Peamount Sanatorium Industries.
Mr. Byrne
I would refer the Deputy to the debate on this matter in the Seanad on the 23rd ultimo.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say what inquiry into the matter he is making, arising out of that debate?
None yet. That is not so long ago, as the Deputy is aware.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say what type of inquiry he proposes to have?
No.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary assure the House that, before these industries are allowed to close down, exhaustive inquiry will be made?
I doubt if I could even give that assurance. The question of an inquiry will depend on whether the Women's National Health Association or any other interested body put a case before the Minister. The Department has not been consulted, or had not been consulted, before the official statement was made to close down these industries. As a result of the debate in the Seanad, I understand that contacts have been made between certain interested parties and the Women's National Health Association with a view to getting from them a full memorandum as to why they find it necessary to close down, what prospects there are of the success of the scheme, and what is the possibility of having a modified scheme substituted for the present one if the latter is not feasible; but until some submission is made to the Minister he cannot do anything.
Is the Minister now waiting, and will he continue to wait, until the definite submission of a case is made to him?
Well, the Minister cannot do anything until the submission is made, but I can assure the Deputy that it is not a question of just lying down.
Surely, we are not to understand that the Minister for Local Government and Public Health is standing on his dignity down at the Custom House until somebody approaches him on this matter? It is manifest that all sides of the House do not want these industries to close down, and will the Minister send for the authorities concerned and ask them to tell him what are their difficulties, what has been the measure of success in the past, and what prospects they hold out for success in the future in the event of his giving some assistance to them? Surely, we are not to sit here for six months or so waiting for somebody to talk for us?
It is not a question of the Minister speaking for you at all. The Women's National Health Association are completely independent of the Ministry and have a complete right to close down these industries if they think it judicious to do so. We have no right to say to them: "You shall not and you must not close down these-industries." It is for them to take the initiative, and we are quite prepared to help them and to place the full technical knowledge and advice that is available to the Ministry at their disposal for the solution of the problem, but the solution must be theirs and it is their responsibility.
And if they apply to the Minister, he will sympathetically receive them?
Undoubtedly.