asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of surveys of industries made by the Committee on Industrial Organisation, the number of surveys yet to be made, the number of reports issued, and when the remaining reports will be published.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Surveys.
22.
Surveys of 24 different Sectors of industry have already been undertaken by the Committee on Industrial Organisation. In addition, there are some smaller industries to which the survey programme will be extended as soon as practicable.
The Committee's survey reports on the cotton, linen and rayon industry and on the leather footwear industry have been published. Other surveys have now reached an advanced stage. Further survey reports will be published shortly and it is anticipated that the majority of them will be issued within the next six months.
Will the Minister say what effective steps have been taken by the CIO, by his Department or by some other organisation to ensure that the recommendations contained in these reports are implemented in the relatively short period available for doing so before the real tough testing time arrives for industry?
As the Deputy knows, the interim reports of the CIO were adopted by the Government and legislative steps have been taken to implement these reports, in so far as legislation is necessary. Industries have been advised to take advantage of the loans and grants being made available to them under the legislation. In my Department, I have established an industrial reorganisation branch which is headed by an assistant Secretary who keeps in close touch not only with industries but with adaptation councils set up by industries as a result of these reports. Generally speaking, very active interest is being taken in the implementation of these reports so that industries will adapt themselves or extend as the case may be.
Is the Minister satisfied that industries covered by these reports, and even those not yet covered, are moving out with all expedition to equip themselves to deal with the task that lies ahead?
I am satisfied everything that I or my Department can do is being done and will be done to ensure that this situation is reached.
The Minister may be satisfied as far as he is concerned and as far as the provision of machinery is concerned, but unless the Minister can persuade industries to move rapidly, I am afraid that within two years we will have a very serious unemployment problem here if people are allowed to drag their feet meanwhile.
That is a separate question.
These reports speak of probable redundancy. Whose responsibility is that? Is there any section of the Minister's Department charged with the responsibility of preparing a plan for the retraining, the replacement or the suitable superannuation of probable redundancies thrown up by the Reports of these committees?
That is a separate question.
With respect, I submit it is not. The most important part of the CIO's activity is to provide for the men.
These reports seem not to have been read carefully by the Deputy. Recommendations in these reports can be adopted by industry to avoid redundancy. They specifically state that if the recommendations are adopted—for example, the linen, cotton and rayon report—if productivity and production could be increased by perhaps 40 per cent. it would avoid any redundancy in the industry.
It is splendid if the Minister foresees no redundancy. Then he is quite free of responsibility. However, in certain reports, the possibility of redundancy is envisaged. A section has now been set up in his Department, with an Assistant Secretary, to deal with firms and to urge them to higher efficiency. Has any section been set up in his Department to deal with the men who will lose their jobs?
That question has been answered several times. The Deputy pays no attention to the Minister. It is not in the Department of Industry and Commerce, either.
Who is answering me now?
This seems to be developing into a debate.
I am asking a simple question. The CIO committee report to the Minister that certain firms want gingering up. He set up an Assistant Secretary and a section to deal with that. Where there will be redundancy for the men, has any section of the Department been set up to deal with the men? The Taoiseach gets angry.
How often does the Deputy want the Question answered?
An inter-Departmental Committee has been set up to deal with that particular task. That has been said several times in this House.
You cannot say it too often.
It is the first time I heard it.
The CIO report in respect of the linen, cotton and rayon industry suggests that if the recommendations and changes are implemented there will just be an unemployment problem of 1,500——
Read it again.
We have not received much information from the Taoiseach about it.
You are not reading the information which you get.
Give the House the information rather than in the course of a speech at a chamber of commerce function.
How else can the House get it except in published reports from Government Departments?
Is the weakness of the Minister's position not that, with the best will in the world, because he and the main Opposition believe in private enterprise——
If I were a member of a totalitarian Government I should have much more power to do the things recommended, I admit.
All the Minister can do in this situation is to advise these people to take whatever action he thinks desirable. He cannot make them do anything if they do not wish to do so.
I can do more than advise. I can make provision for financial assistance, through legislation. That is being done. I can set up technical assistance agencies, which are in existence.
At this stage, is only half the cost defrayed by the Government?
I want to ask a Supplementary Question. I want to the trouble of writing down this Question. Let other Deputies put down their own Questions and then they can ask Supplementaries to them. I do not mind sharing a few Supplementaries but not with the whole House.
Hear, hear.
Is the Minister aware that the last report issued by the CIO said that the setting-up and implementation of this whole scheme of adaptation is primarily one for industry? In the whole report there is no indication as to what will happen if industry does not fulfil its primary function in this connection. I see nobody taking off his coat to prepare for the tough testing time that lies ahead. Unless the Department and the Government take steps in this matter I am afraid we shall find large numbers of workers idle because we are now allowing very valuable time to slip through our hands. I want the Government to exercise these powers and to make sure that we shall not be faced with a situation in which thousands of people are idle, redundant, and that no jobs are available.
The Government have taken every step open to them.
We are talking about industry, not about what the Government are doing. They have accepted the recommendations.
If I were a dictator, perhaps I could do more.