Tairgim:
Go ndeonófar suim nach mó ná £4,718,300 chun slánaithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1965, le haghaidh Tuarastail agus Costais Oifig an Aire Tionscail agus Tráchtála, lena n-áirítear Seirbhísí áirithe atá faoi riaradh na hOifige sin, agus chun Ildeontais-i-gCabhair a íoc
Tá roinnt níos mó ná £1,400,000 de mhéadú sa Mheastachán don bhliain reatha thar Mheastachán na bliana 1963-64, ag áireamh na Meastachán Breise. Soláthairtí breise le haghaidh deontas tionscail agus deontas i leith cabhair theicniúil do chomhlachtaí tionscail is mó is bun leis an méadú seo. Ag féachaint don fhás leanúnach i gcúrsaí tionscail, tá sé intuighthe go mbeadh méadú ar na hítimí sin. Bhí méadú so-aitheanta sa ráta forbartha i rith na bliana 1963. Timpeall 167,000, ar an meán, líon na n-oibrithe a bhí fostaithe i dtionscail déantúsaíochta le linn na bliana seo caite, is é sin le rá, tuairim is 5,500, nó 3.4 faoin gcéad níos mó ná mar a bhí sa bhliain 1962. I rith na bliana céana, cuireadh tús le timpeall 44 scéim nua tionscail chun earraí a tháirgeadh. Meastar go bhfuil beagnach £9 milliún caipitil sna scéimeanna sin agus go bhfuil acmhainn fostaíochta iontu a shroichfidh 6,300 oibrithe nuair a bheidh siad faoi lán seoil. Fairis sin, ag deireadh na bliana 1963, bhí 32 mhonarcha nua á dtógáil. D'éirigh go rí-mhaith leis an obair atá idir lámha ag an Údarás Forbartha Tionscail maidir le tionsclóirí eachtrannacha a mhealladh chun gnóthais tionscail a bhunú abhus. I rith na bliana 1963 tosaíodh ar thairgeadh earraí i 34 tionscail nua lena bhfuil baint ag dreamanna eachtrannacha. Is fiú níos mó ná £7 milliún an capiteal atá sna tionscail sin agus tá acmhainn fostaíochta do níos mó ná 4,200 oibrithe acu.
Lean an Coiste um Eagrú Tionscail dá shaothar i rith na bliana. Tá suirbhéireacht déanta acu anois ar 26 thionscal agus foillsíodh go dtí seo tuarascálacha ar 18 gcinn de na tionscail sin. Foilseofar tuarascálacha ar na 8 gcinn eile ó am go ham sna míonna atá cughainn. Beidh an Coiste ag teacht go críoch a shaothair ansin agus measaim go n-aontóidh gach uile dhuine go bhfuil ardmholadh ag dul dóibh as ucht na hoibre fónta a rinne siad maidir le laige agus easpaí ár dtionscal a nochtadh agus leighseanna a mholadh dóibh.
Ina gcuid tuarascálacha luíonn an Coiste go trom ar chomh tábhachtach agus chomh práinneach is atá sé go gcuirfeadh lucht tionscail i bhfeidhm na bearta atá riachtanach lena ngnóthais a chur in oiriúint do choinníollacha na saorthrádála. Tá a fhios ag an saol gur bhunaigh mé brainse speisialta i mo Roinn chun spreagadh a chur faoi bhunú comhairlí oirúinúcháin i gcúrsaí tionscail de réir mar atá molta ag an gCoiste um Eagrú Tionscail. Tá sé chomhairle dhéag tar éis a mbunaithe agus tá an chuid is mo díobh ag obair go héifeachtach.
Is eagal liom, áfach, go bhfuil roinnt comhairlí ann nach bhfuil ag déanamh mórán dul ar aghaidh, agus is mian liom a chur in iúl dóibh sin agus do na tionscail a mbaineann siad leo gur mhór an dearmad é a cheapadh go mbeidh an tír seo in ann iarmairtí na n-athraithe móra i gcúrsaí trádála idirnáisiúnta a sheachaint. Taobh amuigh de bheith réidh chun dul san iomaíocht ar an margadh coigríche caithfidh siad iad fhéin a ullmhú le haghaidh breis iomaíochta sa bhaile, ag féachaint do chlár an Rialtais maidir le laghdú ginearálta a dhéanamh ar chánacha custam agus le sriantaí na gcuótaí ar allmhairí tionscail a scaoileadh.
Tugann sé sásamh mór dom gur shroich ár gcuid onnmhairí figiúr buaice £196 milliún i 1963, is é sin le rá méadú £21 milliún thar an bhfigiúr le haghaidh 1962. Tháinig méadú tábhachtach ar go leor onnmhairí tionscail, go háirithe innealra agus gléasra iompair, éadach agus coisbheart, snáth, éadaí, leathar agus déantúis leathair. Táim ag súil go leanfaigh an scéal mar seo, agus táimid ag méadú go maith i mbliana ar an soláthair le haghaidh Chóras Tráchtála lena chur ar a chumas breis cúnaimh a thabhairt dár onnmhaireoirí.
San iomlán, mar sin, measaim gur cúis mhór misnigh dúinn an dul ar aghaidh a rinneadh i 1963, i gcúrsaí tionscail na tíre sa bhaile agus ar an gcoigrích.
In the Book of Estimates, the net Estimate of £7,078,300 for the year 1964-65 is compared with a sum of £5,471,800 granted in 1963-64, including a Supplementary Estimate for £990,000, and shows a net increase of £1,606,500. On 3rd March, 1964, too late for inclusion in the Book of Estimates, an additional sum of £185,000 was granted by way of a further Supplementary Estimate, bringing the total amount granted in 1963-64 to £5,656,800. The actual position is, therefore, that the Estimate of £7,078,300 for 1964-65 is £1,421,500 greater than the total sum of £5,656,800 granted in 1963-64.
The principal increases in 1964-65 are in the provisions for the Grant-in-Aid under the Industrial Research and Standards Act, £84,000 (Subhead F.1); Grant-in-Aid to Córas Tráchtála, £65,000 (Subhead H); Grant-in-Aid to An Foras Tionscal, £1,815,000 (Subhead J); Technical Assistance, £101,000 (Subhead L.1); Grant-in-Aid to Irish National Productivity Committee, £29,000 (Subhead L.2); Grant-in-Aid to An Cheard Chomhairle, £22,500 (Subhead M), and care and maintenance of St. Patrick's Copper Mines £49,990 (Subhead R.). Increases in other subheads amount to £28,621, bringing the total to £2,195,111. To this must be added the decrease of £13,843 in Appropriations-in-Aid which brings the total increases to £2,208,954. The Book of Estimates shows a gross increase of £2,393,954 for 1964-65 compared with 1963-64, but when an adjustment is made for the Supplementary Estimate for £185,000 taken in March, 1964, the actual increase is £2,208,954.
The principal decreases in 1964-65 are in the provisions for Additional Laboratory Equipment, £24,000 (Subhead F.2); New York World's Fair, £94,000 (Subhead N) and Shipbuilding Subsidy, £660,000 (Subhead P).
Decreases in other subheads amount to £9,454 bringing the total decrease to £787,454. As I have said, the net increase in the Estimate for 1964-65 compared with 1963-64 is, therefore, £1,421,500.
The pace of industrial expansion increased perceptibly in 1963, particularly in the second half of the year. The provisional index of volume of production in manufacturing industry (to base 1953=100) was 151.9 for 1963 as compared with 142.5 for 1962 and 135.0 for 1961. This represents a volume increase of over 6½ per cent during 1963, reflecting roughly a 5 per cent increase in the first six months and 8 per cent in the second half of the year.
The average number of workers engaged in manufacturing industry rose to an estimated 167,000 in 1963— an increase of 5,500 or 3.4 per cent over 1962.
In the case of projects involving a capital investment of £10,000 and upwards. 44 new industrial undertakings or extensions to existing industries came to notice as having commenced production in the year ended 31st December, 1963. The total capital investment in these undertakings is estimated at almost £9 million, and the estimated employment potential ranges from 2,100 in the initial stage to 6,300 at full production.
Apart from projects which had reached the production stage, there were, at the end of the year 1963, 32 new factories in course of construction. It is anticipated that these projects will provide employment for about 8,600 workers when full production has been attained.
Industrial proposals before my Department and the Industrial Development Authority which had reached a fairly definite stage of development at 31st March, 1964, numbered 55.
The year 1963 proved to be a most successful year so far as the efforts of the Industrial Development Authority to attract industry are concerned. During the year, 34 new industries with foreign participation went into production throughout the country. These new projects involve a total capital investment of over £7 million and have an employment potential of some 4,200 workers.
A particularly pleasing feature is the wide variety of industries represented by the projects which commenced production in 1963. These include clothing and textiles, plastics, porcelain, electronics, trout farming, fish processing, broiler hatching eggs, diamond cutting and polishing, filters, agricultural machinery, prams, mink, cheese, precision ballbearings, and chemicals. Most of these industries are producing entirely for export.
The Authority's promotional campaign is now being actively carried on in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland, and additional resources are being provided for the Authority to enable the campaign to be intensified.
Detailed surveys of 26 industries have been carried out by the CIO survey teams. To date, reports on 18 of these industries have been published. Reports on the remaining eight industries will be published at intervals in the next few months. In addition to survey reports on individual industries, four CIO interim reports, which are of general application to industry, have been published. The first interim report dealt with the forms of State assistance to be granted to industry to adapt itself to meet free trading conditions; the second dealt with joint export marketing; the third with the creation of adaptation councils to promote measures of rationalisation in individual industries while the fourth dealt with industrial grants. There has been general acceptance by the Government of the recommendations in these reports.
One of my main preoccupations is to ensure that our industries take advantage of the guidance provided by the CIO reports, so that their modernisation and re-adaptation may be achieved in as short a time as possible. As a further aid to industry, grants are available which will help substantially to defray the cost of re-adaptation and modernisation. I am sure that Irish industry appreciates that a unique opportunity now exists for re-adaptation, and it would be extremely regrettable if any sector of industry were not to avail itself of this opportunity to gear itself to more competitive conditions and to achieve a greater degree of efficiency. Any industries which fail to take advantage of the present opportunities would be seriously lacking in foresight, and I have no doubt myself but that eventually they will regret their lost opportunities.
The CIO have emphasised in their reports the importance of undertaking adaptation measures as urgently as possible, and they have expressed the view that adaptation councils set up by the industries themselves would be the most suitable vehicle for carrying adaptation measures into practice. The Industrial Reorganisation Branch of my Department, which I set up specially some time ago to deal with this matter, works in very close contact with industry with the object of facilitating in every way possible the speedy implementation by each sector of industry of the CIO recommendations for re-adaptation.
The response by industry can be said to be reasonably good. Sixteen adaptation councils have now been established, and the majority of them are doing effectively the task assigned to them. I regret, however, to have to say that a few councils have not been very effective up to the present. I do not know whether this is due to the uncertainty of our trading position, vis-à-vis different international trading blocs, or whether it is attributable to an impression that competitive trading conditions are a matter for the distant future rather than the immediate present. Whatever may be the explanation, I cannot urge too strongly on these sectors of industry and on any others which may be inclined to hesitate, the imperative necessity to modernise the structure of their industry. It would be fatal for firms to be so unrealistic as to think that major changes in international trade are not inevitable and that new competitive conditions are not already almost upon us. Apart from the necessity for competitiveness in external markets, Irish industries must prepare themselves for more competitive conditions in the domestic market as a result of the progressive reductions in tariff levels generally and the loosening of the quota restrictions which protect a number of other industries. The response by an industry to its obligations in the matter of modernisation and re-adaptation will be a relevant factor in my consideration of any situation affecting that industry in the future.
The CIO has now almost completed the task for which it was established, and I think that the committee are to be congratulated on the fine work they have done in diagnosing the weaknesses and problems of our industrial sector and in prescribing measures designed to enable Irish industry not alone to hold its own but to expand in an era of increased competition.
During the past financial year An Foras Tionscal approved grants amounting to £1,300,000 for projects located in the undeveloped areas, bringing the total provision for such grants to £7,700,000. Of this amount, grants totalling £5,100,000 were paid to 31st March, 1964, leaving outstanding commitments of £2,600,000. The total capital investment involved in the approved projects amounts to over £19,000,000, and it is expected they will give employment to over 12,000 persons. One hundred and eleven projects assisted by An Foras Tionscal are in production in the undeveloped areas, and there are 25 other projects for which grants have been promised and which are in varying stages of development. Of the 136 projects in the undeveloped areas for which grants have been approved, 65 were promoted entirely by Irish interests, five were sponsored by Irish interests in association with foreign interests, and 66 were promoted solely by foreign interests. A substantial number of these projects will produce mainly for export markets.
As regards grants by An Foras Tionscal for industries outside the undeveloped areas, during the year ended the 31st March, 1964, grants amounting to nearly £1 million were approved bringing the total grants approved for such projects to £6,700,000. Of this latter sum, grants totalling £3,300,000 were paid to 31st March, 1964, leaving outstanding commitments of £3,400,000. The total capital investment in these projects amounts to almost £29 million. It is estimated that these projects, which are mainly in the export field, will employ about 16,000 persons. Forty-six projects assisted by An Foras Tionscal are actually in production in areas outside the undeveloped areas, and there are 30 other projects for which grants have been approved and which are in various stages of development. Of the 76 projects established or being established outside the undeveloped areas for which grants have been approved, 23 were promoted entirely by Irish interests, 14 were promoted by Irish interests in association with foreign interests, and 39 have been sponsored entirely by foreign interests.
In February, 1963, the Undeveloped Areas Acts and the Industrial Grants Acts were amended to provide, inter alia, for the making of special grants to assist industries in expansion or adaptation programmes in order to enable them to become more efficient. Up to 31st March, 1964, 282 applications for these special grants had been received. At that date, grants of over £3½ million had been approved in respect of 130 applications which will involve a capital expenditure of over £19 million.
In accordance with the Government's desire for greater industrial efficiency and productivity, an increased amount is provided for the Technical Assistance Grants Scheme to cater for the increasing demand for these services. Separate provision is made this year for a grant-in-aid to the Irish National Productivity Committee. The committee was formerly financed directly from the Technical Assistance subhead. Provision has also been made in the Technical Assistance subhead for a grant to the Irish Management Institute.
Under the Irish Steel Holdings Ltd. Act, 1960, and the amending Act of 1963, Irish Steel Holdings Ltd. was authorised to increase its share capital to £6 million, to be subscribed, as required, by the Minister for Finance. The final stages of the company's development plan are now approaching. All the civil engineering works have been completed, and new major plant installations, including the new extended merchant mill, the new section mill and the merchant bar mill, have been brought into commission. The oil-fired open-hearth furnace has also come into operation, and the new soaking pits and blooming mill have been brought into production.
There remain to be completed and brought into commercial operation the wire rod mill and sheet mill. Arrangements are well advanced for the installation of these units, but it will be some little time before commercial production can be commenced.
Nítrigín Éireann Teoranta was incorporated on 3rd October, 1961, as a private company under the Companies Acts, 1908 to 1959, having as its main object the acquisition, erection and operation of a nitrogenous fertiliser factory in Ireland. Construction of the Arklow factory by the contractors, is advanced to the stage when mechanical erection can proceed. While the main factory plant is of German design, inquiries for equipment have been made in Ireland and orders have been placed with Irish firms whenever possible. Employment on the erection of the factory has been steadily increasing and is expected to reach about 600 during the early part of the summer. This will include the men engaged on civil engineering and mechanical erection and the supervisory staff. The factory is expected to go into production in the first half of 1965.
Min Fhéir (1959) Teoranta, the State-sponsored company which is carrying out a project to produce grassmeal from bogland at Geesala, in the west of County Mayo, has now succeeded in resolving some unexpected difficulties encountered in regard to building and equipment and is in the concluding stage of its development programme. Some trial quantities of grassmeal have already been successfully produced, and production on a commercial basis will commence during the 1964 season.
The outline which I have given of the trend of industrial development in 1963 augurs well for the achievement of the industrial targets set out in the Government's Second Programme for Economic Expansion. As Deputies will know, it is envisaged that industry will almost double its output during this decade by annual volume increments of 7 per cent and will increase its exports of manufactured goods by 150 per cent in the same period. An overall increase of 86,000 in the number of jobs in the industrial sector is expected to derive from yearly increases of 3 per cent in employment. This expansion, coupled with an annual increase of almost 4 per cent in productivity, is expected to contribute the larger part of an annual growth of 4.14 per cent in gross national product.
Deputies will be aware that the National Industrial Economic Council, following a detailed examination of these targets, has reported that the industrial aims of the Second Programme are capable of being achieved and that the sectoral targets provide a realistic starting point for discussions with industry. These discussions with the principal functional and other organisations concerned have already commenced.
Our industrial programme has also been the subject of favourable comment by the OECD which has indicated in its recent report that, in its view, given a continuation of the Government's vigorous growth policies and favourable external conditions of trade, the planned industrial expansion, although ambitious, is not unattainable.
I do not think it necessary to dwell at any length upon the matter of price increases. This matter has been debated in the House on a number of occasions recently, and Deputies will be aware of the measures I have taken to secure that there should be no unnecessary or excessive increases in commodity prices or service charges. The Prices Section of my Department has been reorganised in order to secure the enforcement of the Retail Price (Food) Display Order, 1963, and to assist in the investigation of complaints about price increases. While I am happy to note that the measures which I have taken, backed by consumer resistance and the work of the Fair Trade Commission in preserving fair competition, have curbed excessive price increases, I assure the House that the provisions of the Prices Act, 1958, will continue to be used to prevent any excessive price increases.
The position regarding our application for membership of the European Economic Community remains unchanged. It is our wish that negotiations on our application will be resumed when circumstances permit. In the meantime we have succeeded in having established a procedure for maintaining contact with the EEC under which meetings, at official or ministerial level as appropriate, take place from time to time with the Commission of the EEC for the purpose of exchanging information and considering matters of mutual interest, particularly the question of maintaining and developing our trade with the Common Market.
Action on our application for membership of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was suspended when a decision was taken to apply for membership of the EEC. Following the breakdown of the UK/EEC negotiations, consideration of the applications by this and other countries for membership of the EEC was suspended. The Government have been reconsidering the question of joining the GATT and have now decided to revive our application for membership. We have, accordingly, requested the re-opening of discussions on our application, and the negotiations in connection with our accession are likely to take place within the framework of the GATT trade and tariff negotiations known as the Kennedy Round which commenced on the 4th May, 1964.
The arrangements for our participation in the New York World's Fair have proved very satisfactory. The site area of about 12,000 sq. ft. which was leased for our pavilion is in an extremely favourable portion of the Fair grounds, directly opposite the United States Federal Pavilion and on a corner of the Avenue connecting the Federal Pavilion with the focal point of the Fair, the Unisphere. We felt that this was an area which would attract a great number and variety of visitors and this is already proving to be the case.
The display consists of a national exhibit of a prestige nature, and the objective is to present in an attractive way an honest image of the industrial, commercial, cultural and social life of Ireland and its people. The exhibit highlights Ireland's economic development, its tourist attractions, its contribution to world literature, its missionary influence and its contribution to the development of other countries, particularly the United States.
It is always very difficult to assess in advance the tangible benefits of exhibitions of this kind. It may be expected, however, that positive benefits by way of increased trade, tourism and industrial investment will result. From what I have seen on my recent visit I feel confident that the display will effectively achieve the objective of presenting a realistic image of Ireland and the Irish. The effect of the entire exhibition is to present an impression of a small but well-ordered and well-balanced country which, while looking to the future, maintains continuity with its past. Our pavilion and the exhibits have already attracted considerable attention and have been the subject of most favourable comment by visitors.
The Institute for Industrial Research and Standards continues to develop on satisfactory lines. Its existing Departments, notably the Science, Engineering, Building and Technical Information Departments are being expanded on a considerable scale, and additional staff is being recruited. In addition, it is proposed to establish two new Departments, one for chemical engineering, the other for electronics. It is intended, also, to extend the policy of forming divisional boards within the Institute to look after the interests of particular industrial sectors. The field advisory services in engineering and textiles are being strengthened, and similar services are being initiated in applied chemistry and the building industry.
In the field of labour/management relations, it is encouraging to note, in recent years, the increasing readiness of both sides of industry to meet at the national level to discuss their common problems. As I have intimated on previous occasions, the question of improving and bringing up-to-date the existing statutory industrial relations machinery, provided under the Industrial Relations Act of 1946, has been under review in my Department for some time past and, as that legislation was an agreed measure, it is my hope that, before finalising any new proposals for amendment of the legislation, I shall have the benefit of agreed proposals from the employer and labour interests in the National Employer/Labour Conference. However, in suggesting that there is need for the review of the 1946 Act in the light of experience gained over the past eighteen years, I do not intend to imply that the Labour Court, as now constituted, has failed to achieve the objects for which it was established. On the contrary, the court has an impressive record in the settlement of the trade disputes which have been brought before it.
Despite the fact that 1963 was a comparatively quiet year in employer/ worker relations, it is notable that, even in this situation, the extent to which the Labour Court was availed of as a means of settling industrial disputes continued to grow. The number of trade disputes dealt with by the court during 1963 was 366 and was a record for any year since the inception of the court. Conciliation conferences were held in respect of 337 disputes as compared with 300 in 1962. When it is remembered that the 1962 figure itself represented a record compared with previous years, the importance of the conciliation services of the Labour Court will be evident.
It is now clear that employers and workers are becoming increasingly aware of the desirability of exploring to the utmost extent the possibility of an amicable settlement of matters in dispute. I am extremely pleased with this development which offers a sound basis for the hope that this method of approach to the solution of industrial disputes will, in time, be adopted generally.
An Cheard Chomhairle continues to push ahead with its proposals for more effective arrangements for the recruitment and training of apprentices. It has now established statutory schemes of apprenticeship for the trade of motor mechanic, the trade of electrician and the trades in the furniture industry. Apprenticeship committees now regulate the recruitment and training of apprentices in these trades throughout the State.
An Chomhairle recently carried out a statutory examination of apprenticeship in the engineering and metal trades, and, as a result, these trades will shortly be brought within the scope of the Apprenticeship Act. An Chomhairle has announced that it is undertaking a statutory examination of apprenticeship in the building industry, and statutory control is likely to be applied to that industry later this year. It is hoped early next year to tackle apprenticeship in the printing industry so that by the end of its first five year term of office most of the important industries where apprenticeship is the method of training for skill will have been brought under statutory control.
During the past year, the Fair Trade Commission completed their survey of certain aspects of the supply and distribution of medicinal and toilet preparations. The Commission then made Fair Trading Rules with the object of preventing collective restrictions in relation to proprietary household remedies, infant and invalid foods, non-alcoholic health drinks and toilet preparations.
Following the introduction of the turnover tax, a number of complaints were made alleging collective action by traders to fix prices for certain commodities contrary to the provisions of the Restrictive Trade Practices (Groceries) Order, 1956. The Commission carried out investigations in more than 60 towns throughout the country in November, December and January last. They reported that, with the exception of less than a dozen cases, there was no evidence of collective action to fix prices. I directed that proceedings be taken against the traders who had offended. However, later investigations by the Department's inspectors in the towns concerned showed that the efforts to maintain fixed prices had not been successful, and that trading conditions had reverted to normal competitive levels.
I am satisfied that it has been brought home to traders that they could not be allowed to take advantage of the turnover tax to manipulate prices in a manner detrimental to the public interest, and accordingly, I have decided not to proceed further with prosecutions against individual traders.
I have spoken of the need for raising productivity in industry. It is also necessary to pay close attention to the services sector of the economy. The distributive traders are a very important part of the services sector and the efficiency or otherwise of these trades in handling the output of the production sector can have a very marked affect on the prosperity of the economy as a whole.
In view of these considerations, I have created within the Commerce Division of my Department an efficiency of distribution unit which will be specially charged with ensuring that the maximum potentialities of the distributve sector of the economy are employed towards the realisation of the aims of the Second Programme for Economic Expansion. It may be that the unit will arrange for the setting up of an advisory committee on which appropriate interests would serve and whose views would be taken into account in the consideration of measures proposed for the assistance of the distributive trades.
I have also arranged for the formation under the auspices of my Department of the General Council on Commercial Consideration of Freer Trade Conditions. The Council has been formed to consider the problems which will arise for industry and for the distributive trades in the movement towards freer trade and to encourage the distributive trades to support Irish products. The Irish National Productivity Committee has also turned its attention to productivity in the distributive trades and after a recent seminar on the subject it is giving consideration to the establishment of a productivity committee for those trades.
It is very gratifying to be able to report that our exports for the year 1963 amounted to the record figure of £196 million, which represents an increase of more than £21 million over the export figure for the year 1962. Apart from increases attributable to agricultural products, there has in this period been an important increase in our exports of machinery and transport equipment, clothing and footwear, yarns, fabrics and made-up articles, and leather and leather manufactures. The increasingly important role which industry is now playing in relation to our export trade is a source of great encouragement.
Export achievements by industry over the past number of years are very impressive and must be a source of great encouragement to both old and new industries which are contemplating export development. Irish industry has sometimes been regarded in the past as a form of economic development capable of existing under conditions of protection and concerned solely with meeting the requirements of the domestic market. Whatever may be the validity of this viewpoint—and I am not to be taken as subscribing to it —it is plain that a transformation has taken place in the attitude of industry itself in relation to competitive marketing.
It has now been established that, over a wide range of products, Irish industry is capable of meeting keen competition in external markets and of overcoming that competition, notwithstanding the existence of external trade barriers which have to be surmounted. We are now exporting the products of our factories in ever increasing quantities and varieties to foreign markets. This is a most dramatic and encouraging development. It has now become evident that industry will have a much more decisive role to play in the future than in the past in relation to our external trade, and there can be no doubt as to its ability and willingness to meet the challenge of competition in foreign markets.
The year which has passed has been a year of steady progress and consolidation. It has witnessed the establishment of new and important industrial manufacturing units with a considerable export potential. Industry has continued to provide a satisfactory level of employment which will increase further in the year which lies ahead. Industry, generally, has become more conscious of the necessity for re-adaptation and reorganisation with the object of increasing its competitiveness not only in the domestic market but in external markets as well. I feel that we can look forward with confidence to a further expansion of the economy based on the practical achievements of the past 12 months.
