Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Feb 1944

Vol. 92 No. 11

Committee on Finance. - Vote 54—Gaeltacht Services.

Aire Tailte (Seán Ó Maoláin)

Tairgim:—

Go ndeontar suim breise na raghaidh thar £10 chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh Márta, 1944, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí i dtaobh Seirbhísí na Gaeltachta, maraon le Deontaisí um Thógáil Tithe agus ceannach agus díol Bréidín.

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1944, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Gaeltacht Services, including Housing Grants and the purchase and sale of Homespuns.

Níl sa mheastachán so ach meastachán comhartha de dheich bpúnt. Sé is cúis leis ná údarás bheith ag teastáil chun Fo-Roinn Sheirbhísí na Gaeltachta den Roinn Tailte do chaitheamh airgid ón Vóta ar Bhréidín Baile do cheannach ó dhéantóirí fé bhrí coinníollacha an Orduithe Chomhachta Práinne (Bréidín Baile), 1943.

Is amhlaidh a chuir an tOrdú Comhachta Práinne (Earraí Teicstíleacha d'Iomdháil), 1943, isteach go mór ar ghnó an Bhréidín Bhaile toisc gur leagadh amach fé nár chead do lucht gnótha gréasáin do cheannach ach do réir ceadanna ceannacháin a tabharfaí dóibh in aghaidh gach tréimhse ar leith. Thárla gur lease le lucht gnótha a gcionranna d'úsáid chun Bréidín Baile do cheannach fhaid a bhí éadach muileann-fhighte orstaid nó olnach le fáil agus, mar sin, fágadh an Bréidín Baile gan cheannach. Is amhlaidh, freisin, gur ró-dheacair scéim na gcúpón fén Ordú Comhachta Práinne (Forálacha Ciondála Generálta), 1942, do riaradh dá mbéadh gach déantóir Bréidín Baile chois teinteáin ag láimhseáil cúpón i leith a gcuid díolachán. Shocruigh an tAire Soláthairtí, dá bhrí sin, nárbh fholáir, chun go bhféadfadh sé faoiseamh ina ndeacrachtaí do thabhairt do na déantóirí bréidín baile, cólucht éigin lár-mhargaíochta do bhunú ionnus gur leis an gcólucht sin amháin a dhíolfadh na déantóirí bréidín baile a gcuid gréasán, munar déantóirí ceadúnuithe iad, agus ionnus ná béadh aon ghá le hidir-cheadanna ceannacháin ná cúpóin i leith a ndíolfaí mar sin. D'fhonn cabhruithe leis na déantóirí bréidín baile ins na Gaeltachtaí, do haontuíodh go mbeadh Seirbhísí na Gaeltachta ina chólucht lár-mhargaíochta dá réir agus go gceannóidís bréidín baile ó na déantóirí ar fuaid na tíre ar fad.

Tá mírcheann nua D (10) ceaptha do Cheannach an Bhréidín Baile agus meastar gur £42,000 a bhéas ag teastáil ina chóir sin agus i gcóir na gcostas eile a bhainfidh leis an gceannach sin.

Tá £295 breise ag teastáil fé mhírcheann F (1) d'fhonn cúiteamh do thabhairt don Oifigeach ar a luighfidh cúram teicniúil na hoibre ceannacháin agus díolacháin agus d'fhonn congnamh do chur ar fáil i dTaisc-Ionad Láir na Margaíochta do láimhseáil na ngréasán a bheas le díol.

Tá £250 breise ag teastáil fé mhírcheann F (3) i gcóir costaisí breise taistil a meastar a thuitfidh ar Oifigigh Taisc-Ionaid Láir na Margaíochta i dtaobh na hoibre.

Meastar ná beidh le fáil mar fháiltí glan ó dhíolacháin an Bhréidín Baile laistigh den bhliain airgeadais seo ach £18,600 i gcoinnibh an £42,545 a meastar a caithfear i leith an cheannacháin. D'fhágfadh sé sin gur £23,945 a bhéadh ag teastáil chun an cuntas do chomhardú. Tá le cur leis sin, ámhthach, easnamh de £24,850 a meastar a bhainfidh leis na fáiltí glan a gheobhfar ó dhíolacháin tionnscal tuaithe na Fo-Roinne, agus fágann sin gur £48,795 ar fad atá le slánú fén meastachán so.

Ina choinnibh sin, meastar gur féidir £48,785 do shlánú ó shábháiltí ar mhírchinn eile den Vóta agus, dá bhrí sin, níl ag teastáil fén meastachán so ach suim £10 mar chomhartha. Beidh sábháil £1,285 ar mhírcheann A i gcóir Tuarastal, etc., an Cheann-Ionaid; beidh sábháiltí £43,100 ar fad ar na mírchinn D (6), D (8), agus D (9) a bhaineas go sonnrach le habhair do chur ar fáil do na tionnscail tuaithe; agus beidh sábháiltí de £4,400 ar fad ar na mírchinn H (1), H (2), agus H (3) a bhaineas le Tuarastail na fóirne teieniúla Teach-Soláthair, le costais taistil na fóirne sin agus le deontais fé Achtanna na dTithe (Gaeltacht).

Fén socrú margaíochta so, beidh Seirbhísí na Gaeltachta ag féachaint chuige, chó fada agus is féidir é, praghas réasúnta do réir cáilíochta agus fiúntais do thabhairt ar na gréasáin a ceannófar agus comhairle do thabhairt do na déantóirí a fheabhsódh a gcuid déantúis.

Micheál Óg Mac Pháidín

Ní gnáthach caint ar bith a dhéanamh ar mheastachán breise ach ba mhaith liomsa beagán a rá ar an mheastachán seo atá romhainn ar mhaithe le tionnscal an bháinín i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill. Is maith an comhartha é go bhfuil an tAire ag iarraidh tuilleadh airgid leis an tionnscal seo a chur chun cinn, agus tá mé cinnte go bhfuighe sé an t-airgead atá de dhíth air ón Dáil le croidhe na féile.

Anois isé tionnscal na holna—an báinín agus an chniotáil—an tionnscal is fearr dá bhfuil againn sa Ghaeltacht, agus ba mhaith liom go rachadh sé ar aghaidh go láidir. Bheireann sé slighe bheatha do na mílte muiríneacha a bheadh ar ghann-chuid gan é. Tháinig an tionnscal seo anuas chuca, glún ar ghlúin, leis na céadta bliain. Tá obair na holna leo ina méara o dhúchas. Tá na sléibhte móra acu a chothuigheas na caoirigh a bheir an olann dóibh. Tá na túirní agus na seolta aca, agus na sníomhóirí agus na figheadóirí acu go tréan, bail o Dhia ortha. Ní raibh d'imní ortha ach an báinín d'fháil díolta nuair a bheadh sé réidh le dul chun margaidh. Chuir rialacha an chogaidh an sean-mhargadh bun os cionn. Agus anois, o thárla gur tharraing an Rialtas cúram an tionnscail ortha féin, tá súil agam go n-éireoidh leo margadh maith d'fháil dó. Is fearr go mór-mhór an tionnscal seo ná oibreacha fóirthine ar na bealaighe móra agus a leitheid nach bhfuil ach ón láimh go dtí an béal. Ba mhaith linn go gcoinneodh an Rialtas sin i gcuimhne nuair atá siad ag cuidiú leis an tionnscal seo na holna agus le hobair an bháinín go háithrid.

Ní nach iongnadh, ba mhaith leis na daoine bochta seo an phighinn is d'fháil ar an bháinín. Tá saothar mór le gréasán báinín, obaintear an olann den chaora go dtig sé o sheol an fhigheadóra. Caithfear an olann a ghlanadh, a bhealú, agus a dhathú. Caithfear í a chíoradh agus a chárdáil, agus ansin caithfear an t-inneach agus an dlúth a shníomh ar an túirne. Tá ar an fhigheadóir ansin é a dhealbhú agus a chur sa tseol, agus é a fhighe ina éadach. Is trom maslach an obair í ag na daoine bochta seo agus tá gach pighinn a gheibh siad ar an bháinín tuillte go hionnraice aca. Ar an ábhar sin, is maith liom go bhfuil an Rialtas ag cur suime speisialta sa tionnscal seo. Tá súil agam nach leigfidh siad ar lár é ach go gcuirfe siad bun maith seasmhach faoi sa chruth go mairfe sé ag muintir na Gaeltachta nuair a bheas an cogadh tharainn.

Is iongantach liom go bhfuil an Roinn Soláthairtí ag cur creapaill ar dhíolacháin an bháinín san am i láthair. Níl mé ag rádh gur in aon-toisc atá siad á dhéanamh. Tá an Roinn ag cur ceithre cúpón in aghaidh gach slat bháinín a díoltar sna siopaí. Dá bhfágfaí ar an bháinín ach cúpón amháin in aghaidh an tslat, díolfaí i bhfad níos mó den éadach seo.

Má tá an Rialtas ar mhaithe leis an tionnscail a leathnú agus a dhaingniú molaim sin dóibh. Níl dóigh níos fearr le rath agus bláth a chur ar an Ghaeltacht ná cuidiú dúthrachtach a thabhairt do thionnscal na holna.

Mr. B. Brady

In connection with this Estimate, I should like to bring to the notice of the Minister, in the hope that he will have them remedied, some of the grievances which the producers of Donegal homespuns have since the present scheme was put into operation. It is true that the scheme was put into operation as a result of a conference between representatives of the producers and the parish councils, on the one hand, and of representatives of Gaeltacht Services and the Department of Supplies, on the other hand. As a result of these discussions, it was hoped that the scheme would work out more satisfactorily from the point of view of the producers than it has done up to the present. The House will have gathered from the particulars given by the Minister the amount of money involved and the amount of money put into circulation in the Gaeltacht as a result of the central marketing board becoming the purchasing authority for Donegal handspuns. Prior to the coming into operation of this scheme, the prices, as we all know, were much higher than those which have obtained since the Department took over control of the industry. There might be something to be said for not giving very high prices at the time that the Department took over because there was an accumulation of homespun cloth in the hands of producers. Those in charge of the purchase of this material will, I think, admit that, as a result of supervision by the officials in charge the quality of the material has improved considerably, and it is time the Department took into consideration the question of giving a more economic price.

The prices range from 7/- to 9/- per yard at the moment. It is not economic to make homespun cloth at 7/- or 8/- a yard. In addition, there seems to be a great disparity in the prices paid. There are, probably, differences in the quality but one can hardly visualise differences which would warrant the paying of only 7/- or 7/6 per yard in one case and 9/- per yard in another case. At the conference to which I have alluded, we understood that a sort of consultative body would be recognised by the central marketing board—that a body representative of the producers and the parish councils would be consulted and would have the power of making representations to the Department officials concerned. So far, nothing has been done along those lines. I think that it would make for the success of the scheme and would assist both the Department and the producers if such a consultative body were established. If the producers had any genuine grievance, they could go to this body and have representations made in a reasonable way to those in charge of the scheme.

I believe that there is quite a number of ways in which the Department could make things easier for the producers. The officials are there on the spot, and I think that the Minister should be able to arrange things to facilitate the producers. Take, for instance, the question of supplies of oil, used in the carding of the wool. As things are at the moment, the people engaged in that occupation have to go into the black market and pay ten times the ordinary price for the oil, and I feel that if the Department were to set aside a certain quantity of oil for that purpose, it would mean that the wool could be sold at an economic price. The same applies to the hand-carders and the dyes that are necessary. I understand that the average price formerly was 4/- or 4/6, and the price is now £1. As I have pointed out already, oils are at least ten times the price to the producers now, and I feel that if these things were controlled by the Department, it would lower the cost of production considerably and would mean that these essentials could be sold much more cheaply to the consumers. At any rate, it would certainly bring down the cost of production.

At the conference, also, it was understood that steps would be taken to supply a trade-mark for Donegal hand-spuns, but so far nothing has been done. There is no mark of any kind, at the present moment, to distinguish hand-spun Donegal cloths from machine-spun cloths, and I think that that is a matter the Department should take in hand at once. Since the Department now have supervision and control over the manufacture of home-spuns, it seems to me that it would be very necessary to have a stamp, something like the Harris tweed stamp, on the hand-spun Donegal tweeds, so as to distinguish them from machine-spun cloths. Those are a few of the things that occurred to me as being likely to help the industry and the Department, and I should be grateful if the Minister could see his way to meet the producers in the way I have suggested.

Fionán Ó Loingsigh

Is léir ón méid atá ráite ag na Teachtaí ó Thír Chonaill go raibh gá leis an Meastachán seo, ach tá cúpla rudaí go mba mhaith liom tagairt do dhéanamh dóibh. Mar chím-se, is ana-dheacair a thuigsint cad ina thaobh go bhfuil an laghdú mór seo sa bhfó-mhír dheircannach. Tá laghdú níos mó ná £24,850 ins an méid a fuarthas ó na rudaí a díoladh. Is ána-dheacair, leis, a thuigsint cad ina thaobh ná fuil níos mó le fáil ón méid a díolfar i mbliana. Tá £40,000 á chaitheamh chun bréidín do cheannach, ach níl ach £18,600 annseo le fáil as an méid a díolfar. An é an fáth go bhfuil sé ceapaithe ag an Aire ná díolfar furmhór na mbreidíní seo i rith na bliana? Maran mar sin atá an scéal, cad ina thaobh go bhfuil an deifríocht sin idir an méid a bheidh le fáil as na bréidíní a díolfar agus an méid a caitheadh chun na bréidíní do cheannach?

Seosamh O Cinnéide

Tá aon cheist amháin agam le cur chuig an Aire. Sin í an bhfuil an teanga, sin í an Ghaedhilg, dá húsáid ag an dream atá i bhfeighil na hoibre seo? Is léir d'éinne a theigeas go dtí an Ghaeltacht nach bhfuil an teanga ag na sain-eolaithe agus nach bhfuil aon rud ach drochmheas ag an dream seo ar na daoine dúchais. Ná cuiridh dabhtaí ar mo chuid focal. Do chonnac-sa an bhliain seo caithe i gConnacht agus in Arainn na sain-eolaithe agus a gcuid Oxford qccents aca. Is mithid don Aire stad a chur leis seo sa bhliain 1944.

Seán Ó Maoláin

Do réir mar thuigimse an méid a dubhairt an Teachta Mac Pháidín moladh ba mhó a bhí aige agus táimid ag déanamh ár ndíchill chun an obair sin do chur chun cinn. Dubhairt an Teachta Ó Cinnéide go raibh a lán díobhála á dhéanamh againn don teangain. Ní féidir linn uaireanta cigirí no fir teicniúla do sholáthar agus má tá canúin Oxford ag duine acu níl leigheas againn air. Chó fada agus tá sé oiriúnach don obair déantar an Ghaedhilg d'úsáid ins gach áit. Sin leithscéal go leor, in thuairimse. Ní maith liom bheith ag labhairt Béarla ar an Meastachán seo ach chuir an Teachta Ó Brádaigh isteach sa chaint i mBéarla agus caithfidh mé freagra do thabhairt dó sa teangain chéanna.

In regard to oils, the Deputy will understand that the Gaeltacht people who work at the production of homespuns will be under the same difficulty as every other organisation at the moment in the matter of supplies. The Department of Supplies is at present dealing with the question of oil for these people, and I feel, even though the Minister is here, that that Department is in very competent hands. There has been certain adverse comment on the price paid by us, and there has been a suggestion that we have a monopoly. In my opinion, if the production of homespuns were left without some form of control and some form of help, there would be a complete collapse of the industry. If the Department of Supplies, with Gaeltacht industries, had not come in and taken the steps they have taken, in a very short time the whole industry would have gone completely out of existence. There was such competition at the particular time that prices which had no relation to the actual value of the product were paid, and, again, human nature being what it is, the quality of the product was not what it should be if the industry is to continue in existence.

I doubt the statements that the producers themselves are at present dissatisfied with the prices they are getting. I think we are paying a fair price and I think it is reasonable to ask that we should wait to see how the thing works out for a few months. We have not been long enough at it to measure the extent of our success, but, if we wait for a few months, we shall probably be able to come to a better judgment as to whether higher prices should be paid or what other steps we might take in regard to the development of the industry. We have not got a monopoly. We buy from the producers every possible piece of goods they produce, provided it is in any way serviceable. We are competing with people who can order a piece of goods to their own specification and their own design, and are thus in a much more favourable position than we are in regard to the market. Therefore, instead of having a monopoly, we are really competing at a disadvantage.

Deputies from Donegal who are particularly interested in and familiar with the matter should know that we are doing everything possible. Deputy Brady suggested that a consultative body should be consulted in regard to every matter that affects the production of these products. That is not feasible. Deputy Corry raised the point a few days ago with regard to the price of beet, and, even though the Deputy is a member of my own Party, I think he gave a lead which the Department should not follow in matters of this sort. We in Gaeltacht services are in somewhat the position of the district justice to whom Deputy Dillon referred. We not only do justice to everybody, but we try to persuade Deputies that we are doing exact justice to the people with whom we are dealing.

Vote put and agreed to.