asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether his attention has been drawn to a Press announcement of the 26th June to the effect that the weekly newspaper, The Irish Catholic, may shortly cease publication owing to a scarcity of newsprint; if he will state what steps, if any, he has taken to enable this newspaper to continue publication.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Scarcity of Newsprint.
Mr. Byrne
I have seen the Press announcement to which the Deputy refers and which is, in many respects, inaccurate and misleading. I have stated publicly on several occasions that there is little or no prospect of any newsprint being imported earlier than November. Home production of newsprint has for many months been almost negligible. The proprietors of The Irish Catholic and other periodicals were presumably well aware of the position. On December 12th, 1941, I caused a letter to be sent to The Irish Catholic and other periodicals expressing concern at the rate at which the meagre stocks of newsprint available were being consumed and urging that a further reduction in consumption should be effected without delay. At that time, there was a hope that a home mill would be able to produce some hundreds of tons of newsprint from raw material to be salvaged from a wrecked vessel off the Donegal coast. Unfortunately, only a proportion of this material was, in fact, recovered, owing to bad weather and the eventual submergence of the wreck. A quantity of newsprint was, however, produced from the material salvaged, but about half of the total quantity so produced had to be requisitioned for Government purposes, particularly in connection with the issue of ration books. The balance was, over a period of months following, allocated to various papers and periodicals whose relative stock position was lowest. The Irish Catholic was given two allocations on the same basis as certain other newspapers and periodicals.
The home-produced stock of newsprint is now almost exhausted, and is, in fact, insufficient to honour in full the permits issued some months ago. Many weekly and other publications are on the point of ceasing publication owing to the scarcity of newsprint. As there are no further supplies under my control, there is no action I can usefully take in the matter of the continued publication of The Irish Catholic.
Mr. Byrne
The Minister, in the opening portion of his reply, said the statement about the closing down of The Irish Catholic was inaccurate.
No; the statement published on behalf of The Irish Catholic in the newspapers was inaccurate.
Mr. Byrne
The Irish Catholic is closing down, if the firm cannot get paper, and that was all that was published in the newspapers. They have not got the necessary paper, and apparently no facilities to enable them to continue publication are being given to them, so that the statement in the newspapers was correct.
Is the Minister satisfied that a serious effort has yet been made to collect waste paper, and what effect would it have on the supply of newsprint if it were properly carried out?
It would have no effect on this position.
I am speaking generally.
I cannot say that the efforts which have been made to collect waste paper have been satisfactory. I do not know if it will be possible to get a really satisfactory collection of waste paper going, but a new attempt is about to be made.
Is the position improving so far as collection is concerned?
I could not say that. I hope it will improve, but it will not affect this position, because it would not be used in the manufacture of newsprint.