The precise case I am trying to make is that the power that the Minister had to act, given to him by legislation, was capable of being exercised and was, in fact, exercised with expedition when the necessity arose. If the Industrial Development Authority had been in existence then, there would presumably have been a reference to it of the circumstances affecting these industries for examination and report preceding action by the Minister. I think I am entitled to remind the Dáil that that situation was, in fact, envisaged in 1947. I had here a Bill then dealing with industrial prices and efficiency. I think I have already invited Deputies in this House who were not in the Dáil then or whose recollection of the discussions which took place then is not too fresh, to refer to Official Debates.
We had considerable agitation amongst members of the Dáil concerning what they described as scarcities of essential commodities—particularly boots, woollens and clothing—which they attributed to the restrictive protectionist policy which was in operation and demands upon the Government to take action to rectify the conditions of scarcity leading, as it was alleged, to unnecessary high prices through giving permission for the importation of higher quantities of these goods. That permission was given. It is true that the market situation changed and, because it changed, the quota fixed for the importation of these goods had to be modified also. But, if the Minister was trying to suggest that circumstances existing in 1947 could have been avoided if there had been an Industrial Development Authority or that there would have been more information concerning possible future developments if such an authority existed, the best answer I can make to him is to request him to refer to his own speeches and the agitation in which he participated for action by the Government to remedy the conditions of scarcity and the consequent high prices.
There is one further thing which I must say, I think—and it is relevant to this Supplementary Estimate—arising out of the Minister's recent speech. The Minister said I had stated the intention of this Party in relation to the future of this authority for the purpose of causing a sense of uneasiness and insecurity amongst its members. I consider that I was in duty bound to make that attitude known. If a Bill has been passed by the Dáil establishing this authority, if men have been asked to leave their previous occupations in order to accept membership of this authority, if others, at any time in the future are likely to be attracted into the services of that authority, would it be right for me to leave them under any misapprehension concerning our attitude towards them? I have said that we do not believe in it and that we think it will be an impediment to industrial development. We think the Trades and Industries Branch of the Department of Industry and Commerce can do the work entrusted to this authority much more efficiently. It did it in the past and it can do it in the future. Consequently, it is to be assumed by the members of the authority and by those employed in the service of that authority that that opposition will be expressed in a repeal of this legislation some time in the future.
The suggestion that there was a greater expansion in industrial productivity in the past two years than at any previous period, while completely contrary to the facts, was, nevertheless, advanced again to convey the suggestion that it was attributable to the functioning of this authority. We have had no evidence of any kind to justify that suggestion. If, in fact, this authority has been functioning as expeditiously and as efficiently as the Minister has stated, we have yet to see the results of their work. So far as published statistics show, the expansion in industrial output in 1949 and in 1948 took place entirely within industries which were established before the war and which were expanding because of the more favourable conditions prevailing after the war. I have no doubt that new industries can be established. I have no doubt that this authority, despite its peculiar constitution, despite the difficulties which I think will inevitably confront a body of that character, will be able to secure and promote proposals for new industries. Nobody has suggested that they will operate as a complete barrier to future industrial programmes. I believe they will slow down industrial programmes. I believe that, because of the procedure which such a body inevitably follows, there will be delay in taking decisions and in carrying out decisions upon proposals for industrial development submitted to it.