asked the Minister for Finance if he will state whether the herd of deer in the Phoenix Park or any part of it was offered for sale by auction or otherwise; if tenders were invited for the purchase of the animals about to be disposed of, and if not, whether he will state the grounds on which it was decided to enter into a private arrangement for the disposal of these animals.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Deer in Phoenix Park.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the number of deer from the Phoenix Park herd to be slaughtered, the price at which they have been sold to the contractor, the arrangements made as to the disposal and destination of the venison and the price at which it is being sold.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the nature and the terms of the contract entered into for the disposal of part of the Phoenix Park herd of deer, the names of the persons or firms with whom the contract was made, and the extent of the obligation assumed by the State in regard to the rounding up and slaughter of the deer.
asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the expressed willingness of the contractor for the destruction of the larger part of the Phoenix Park herd of deer to vary the terms of the contract, he will arrange that instead of exporting the venison to Great Britain it will be retained at home and supplied to the poor of Dublin during the coming winter.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the number of deer belonging to the Phoenix Park herd it is proposed to retain as a nucleus for restocking after the emergency.
I propose to take the five questions together.
A contract was entered into with the Associated Merchandise Company, Holles Place, under which this company takes full responsibility for the rounding up, slaughter and disposal of the deer. Faced with the need to have the herd reduced in numbers, the Commissioners of Public Works made inquiries from a number of firms in and around Dublin, but none of these except the contracting firm was prepared to make any offer. The herd in the Phoenix Park had increased to between 800 and 850 and it was decided to reduce it to between 40 and 50 which was considered adequate as a nucleus for the maintenance of the herd. The number of deer slaughtered up to date is 209. It is understood that the contracting company has given to local firms and to any person interested every opportunity to purchase the deer alive or dead, for human consumption or for preservation, but that no sales have resulted from the advertisements inserted in the newspapers. I am advised that the present controlled price in Britain of venison on first hand sale for unskinned carcases is 8d. per lb. The provision to be made by the State for the poor can more efficiently and reliably be made through other sources.
Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, will he state the number of firms from which inquiries were made as to whether they were prepared to carry out this contract? Will he further state why the usual practice of inviting tenders was not followed in this case? Finally, will the Parliamentary Secretary state whether he has taken any steps to satisfy himself that the contractor is not acting merely as an agent for an undisclosed principal, and will he say whether he is satisfied that the provisions of the Registration of Business Names Act, 1916, have been complied with by the principal in this transaction?
The last supplementary question asked by the Deputy is one which he attempted to put on the Order Paper and was not allowed by the rules of the House so to put. I do not know the number of individual firms from which inquiries were made, but I do know that every possible effort was made to get in touch with anyone who was likely to buy. I am quite satisfied on that point. It is for that reason that tenders were not asked for. It is quite obvious that it was a question of being lucky to get anyone to take it up.
With all due respect to the Parliamentary Secretary, I wish to point out that a question of which I gave due notice, and which was ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle, has not been asked by me.
May I take it that it is not the practice to disclose to the Minister concerned the nature of questions turned down by the Chair?
It is not. But copies of Parliamentary questions may go to the Department concerned, before they have been considered by the Ceann Comhairle.
I was wondering how the Parliamentary Secretary could have got this information.
It occurred in the ordinary way, that the question was forwarded as sent in, and afterwards turned down by the Chair