asked the Minister for Supplies if he is aware that Donegal homespuns were sold in the open local markets in Donegal in June last from 10/- to 12/- per yard; that, due to the Emergency Textile Order, there was an almost complete stoppage of sales for the months of July, August and September, as the cloth could not find its way into the ordinary channels of trade; that an Emergency Order issued 1st October restricts the purchases of homespuns to Gaeltarra Eireann; and if he will indicate what improvements are to be effected by this recent Order that will compensate the cottage workers of the Donegal Gaeltacht.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Donegal Gaeltacht Homespuns.
I have no official knowledge of the prices at which Donegal homespuns were sold in the open local markets in June last. I am aware that it was alleged that there was an almost complete stoppage of sales for the months of July, August and September and that this was due to the operation of the Emergency Powers (Distribution of Textile Goods) Order, 1943. This Order was made with the object of restricting competition for piece goods and so curbing the upward tendency in prices of cloth which had been manifest for some time. Unrestricted competition for cloth had resulted in the intrusion of speculators into the trade in piece goods and the result was that the price of cloth was forced up to abnormal levels to the detriment of the ordinary citizen who had to purchase clothing made from that cloth. This was true of all classes of cloth, including homespuns. Under the Emergency Powers (Distribution of Textile Goods) Order, 1943, no trader could, after the 14th June, 1943, buy woollen or worsted piece goods, including homespuns, unless he held a buying permit. Quotas were worked out for all traders on the basis of their previous trade and buying permits were issued to them for the amounts of their quotas. I am aware that it was alleged that traders who had buying permits were reluctant to use them for the purchase of homespuns, and a suggestion was made by representatives of the producers of homespuns that additional buying permits should be issued in order to encourage persons to purchase homespuns. This proposal was unacceptable for the reason that it would defeat the purposes for which the Emergency Powers (Distribution of Textile Goods) Order, 1943, was made. After discussions with representatives of the producers of homespuns and of various other interests connected with the trade in homespuns the Emergency Powers (Homespuns) Order, 1943, was made. This Order restricted the purchase of homespuns from producers, with certain exceptions, to Gaeltarra Eireann. The compensations which the cottage workers of the Donegal Gaeltacht may expect from this Order are a certain market and a fair price for all the serviceable material they produce.
Is the Minister aware that Gaeltarra Eireann have now fixed a price of 4/- per yard less than the price obtained on the market from local buyers, and that, as a result, many of these cottage workers are now going out of production as they consider the price unremunerative?
That may be so, but I think the difficulty which arose for the producers of homespuns in Donegal was that the cloths they were producing were selling at too high a price and that a proportion of them was not of serviceable quality. If there is to be a future for the homespun industry, I think it will be agreed that not merely must there be some supervision of the quality of the cloth, but also some attempt to secure that prices are fixed at a reasonable level.