I was saying that we had unsuccessfully opposed the approval of this Bill on Second Reading because we disliked the proposal to transfer to an autonomous body, with which the Dáil would have no contact, functions which were previously discharged by the Minister for Industry and Commerce, and concerning which he could be questioned by the Dáil. I do not think, however, that many of the Deputies who failed to respond to our arguments for the rejection of the Bill on Second Reading can have fully appreciated that, as framed, it purports to give to this Industrial Development Authority a position of superiority to all other statutory boards and companies concerned with industrial development in any form.
The purpose of this amendment is to endeavour to limit the functions of the new board in regard to matters for which other statutory boards and companies have already been given responsibility by the Oireachtas. Its aim is to provide that the functions of this Industrial Development Authority "shall not extend to any undertaking constituted by statute, being an undertaking which is carried on by or on behalf of the State or the directors of which are appointed by the Government or by a Minister of State, or to any commodities which any such undertaking is authorised by statute to produce or make." I do not know what the view of the Government is on this amendment. We have not yet had an opportunity of hearing that view expressed by the Parliamentary Secretary, but, in so far as the limited discussion which we had on last Thursday night is an indication of the views held on the benches opposite, there appears to be a desire to justify the position in which this new Industrial Development Authority will have functions not merely in relation to industrial development by private enterprise but also in relation to the activities of organisations like the Electricity Supply Board and Córas Iompair Éireann. If that is intended, then I think the opposition originally expressed on this Bill is even more justified than it at first appeared.
The Oireachtas, by legislation, established these other bodies. It empowered the Government, or a particular Minister, to choose for membership of those boards persons with the experience and competence that would enable them to carry on properly the undertakings entrusted to them. It is certain that any attempt to put between them and the Minister, or between them and this House, this Industrial Authority will merely lead to confusion and retard rather than facilitate progress.
These other bodies have their powers defined by statute. Their members are appointed by the Government, or by Ministers who are answerable for their appointments here. They are under an obligation to submit annual reports and accounts which are presented to the Dáil and which the Dáil can discuss. It has on occasion discussed them for the purpose of expressing criticism of their administration or of urging development along particular lines.
Clearly, the intention of the Dáil in framing the legislation which established them—the legislation establishing Córas Iompair Éireann was enacted no later than this year—was to have these bodies directly answerable to the Dáil through a Minister and to give no responsibility to anybody else, except the Minister, and through the Minister to the Dáil, for the way they discharged their duties. It is a matter upon which I would have thought that many Deputies sitting opposite would have strong views and that they would join with us in objecting to the intervention between these bodies and the Government and the Dáil of another organisation described as an autonomous organisation, an organisation which has no responsibility whatever to any Minister or to the Dáil and which it is not proposed should be under any obligation by statute to present any report here as to how it exercises its powers or discharges its functions. I do not know whether the other statutory boards to which I have referred have been consulted about this proposal to appoint over them this super-authority. I am sure it is most unlikely that, if they were consulted, they agreed. Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary could give us some information on that point.
During our brief discussion on Thursday last Deputy Hickey made an observation which appeared to convey that he regarded this Bill as an answer to the case that is being made for instituting some more explicit system of supervision over the activities of other statutory bodies. Clearly, that is not so. The reply given to-day by the Taoiseach to a parliamentary question which I addressed to him makes it obvious that the Government has not yet completed its considerations of the methods by which more detailed examination of the accounts and reports of these other bodies can be accomplished by the Dáil, and that when it has so completed its consideration of that matter it will have definite proposals to make to the House. This Bill is not an answer to that case. If it were so regarded I think most of us would consider it as asking the Dáil to move in a direction opposite to that which the majority of the Dáil would prefer to go in that regard.
Mind you, this is not quite a matter of theory, because I have already drawn the attention of the House to one important matter in regard to which it can be said that ambiguity as to the functions of this new board has stopped progress. In 1947 the Dáil enacted a Bill to establish a company with special responsibility for the development here of chemical industries. That Bill was passed with the approval of all Parties then represented in the Dáil, and the Government chose for the company—Ceimici Teoranta—a board of directors that appeared particularly suitable to be entrusted with that responsibility. I intimated to the Dáil when, as Minister, I proposed the enactment of that measure, that the first task the new company would be asked to undertake would be to investigate the commercial problems associated with the manufacture here of nitrogenous fertilisers, of sulphate of ammonia. The history of previous attempts to establish that industry here need not now be recounted, but our experience during the war years, when supplies of that important fertiliser were not available at all except the very limited quantities that were smuggled into the country and sold at exorbitant prices, justified us in regarding it as an urgent post-war task to get that industry established here. It is particularly suitable for this country, in so far as it can be conducted with practically no imported raw materials.
That company was set up, given the necessary legal powers and assured of the necessary financial resources to enable it to do all the preliminary work necessary to secure the establishment of that industry, although it was recognised that before the final step could be taken, the Dáil would again have to be consulted and would have to agree to make the financial provision which it was estimated would be required. It has done nothing. The accounts of that company, as published, indicate quite clearly that in that particular matter with which it was especially charged nothing has been done. There has been no expenditure of any kind on any activity which could be regarded as being remotely associated with the establishment of that industry.
A question addressed to the Minister for Industry and Commerce early this year elicited the reply that it was the Industrial Development Authority which was now expected to carry out any investigations which were necessary in that matter. They are doing nothing either and we have the position that, as a result of the creation by the Dail of two authorities with overlapping functions, progress is stifled. I think it would be far better for us if we could leave these other statutory bodies in their present position, responsible to the Minister for the discharge of the duties given to them by statute and, through the Minister, to the Dáil, and that the giving of any functions whatever in relation to these matters to this so-called autonomous body, with which the Dáil will have no contact, is a retrograde step which we should resist.