asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. Edmond Horgan's mill, situated at Gortnaskehy, Ballybunion, County Kerry; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature, and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. Edward Cogan's mills, situated at Cork Road, Carrigaline, County Cork; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at the mill belonging to Dinneen and Sons, Limited, known as Dinneen's Mill, and situated at 57 Main Street, Midleton, County Cork; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. James H. Hogan's mill, known as Hogan's Mill, and situated at Killeagh, County Cork; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. John J. Dunne's mill, known as Dunne's Mill, and situated at Ladysbridge, Castlemartyr, County Cork; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. Robert K. Ronayne's mill, known as Ronayne's Mills, and situated at Killeagh, County Cork; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether an Order has been issued prohibiting the carrying on of milling at Mr. Patrick O'Farrell's mill, situated at Singland, County Limerick; and, if so, if he will state (1) the date the mill was originally established; (2) the average number of persons employed weekly immediately prior to the issue of the Order; (3) the form of motive power used; (4) the cause of the prohibition; (5) the date and nature of any offence alleged to have been committed in connection with the mill; (6) the date, nature and result of any inquiry held into such alleged offence.

I propose to answer together the questions put down in the names of Deputies Bennett, O'Sullivan, Linehan and Broderick relating to the closing of mills in various parts of the country. The same information is asked for in all of these questions, but in relation to different mills. I am not aware at the moment of the dates at which any of these mills were originally established, the average number employed immediately prior to the making of the Order nor the form of motive power used.

Emergency Powers (No. 165) Order, 1942, gives me authority to close down a particular mill if I am of opinion that it is expedient for conserving supplies essential to the life of the community that milling should not be permitted to be carried on at that mill. It was in the exercise of these powers that these mills were closed down. Power was given me not for the purpose of punishing offences but for the purpose of conserving essential food supplies. In the case of certain of the mills, at least, there had been offences committed, e.g., milling without a permit, milling white flour or producing a wheat-product for feeding to animals. These, or any other offences, are dealt with in the ordinary way by the courts.

Why does the Minister decline to give, in respect of each mill, the nature and the date of any offence alleged to have been committed which influenced the Minister in making the Order in regard to the particular mill?

The proprietor of a mill does not necessarily have to commit an offence before an Order can be made closing the mill. The mill can be closed if, in the opinion of the Minister concerned, it is essential to do so for the purpose of conserving essential food supplies.

The Minister is aware that it has been implied that, in respect of some of these mills, offences were committed. Does he not see the undesirability of placing all these mills in one class when it is suggested that, in the case of some of them, offences were committed?

I am taking the more charitable course and suggesting that offences may not have been committed.

But the Minister said that offences were committed.

What I say is that it is not necessary to show that an offence has been committed before a Closing Order can be made. In the case of some of these mills—perhaps, I might say, all of them—offences were committed. I do not want to have it established, however, that an offence must be committed before a Closing Order can be made.

It is not necessary to establish that in order to make clear to the House what mills were concerned in offences and what these offences were.

That is a matter for the courts. The proprietor of any mill who committed an offence will be charged in the courts, and the question whether he was guilty or not guilty is a matter for the courts to decide, not for me.