asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state: (a) whether the engineers of the Office of Public Works who carried out a survey of Donegal harbours recommended in their report that Rathmullan Harbour if reconstructed would be most suitable for a deepsea port for Donegal, and (b) whether his predecessor approved of this recommendation, and also that the Government bear all costs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rathmullan Harbour (County Donegal).
Mr. Blaney
Representations were made by Rathmullan interests in March, 1946, for improvement works at Rathmullan Pier. Arrangements were made to have the harbour works inspected by the engineering staff of the Office of Public Works and they reported on the engineering problems involved. No decision had been announced by my predecessor on the representations made to him. Further representations were made to me recently by a deputation from Rathmullan. I indicated to them that the reconstruction of the pier would involve heavy expenditure and I could only consider recommending to the Minister for Finance that State assistance should be made available for the works if the Donegal County Council were prepared to make a contribution. The county council are responsible for the administration of the pier and would secure all the revenues therefrom.
Is it not a fact that the Inter-Departmental Committee on Harbour Works recommended the reconstruction of the pier at Rathmullan, that the entire cost should be borne by the Exchequer and that the recommendation of the inter-Departmental committee was accepted by the Government?
No decision on the representations had been announced by my predecessor.
But the decision was taken and is on record.
There are probably many decisions on record in my Department which I have not had an opportunity of looking at as yet.
Is the Minister not aware that an inter-Departmental committee recommended that this pier should be constructed at the expense of the Exchequer?
In any case I received a deputation. I told the deputation that, provided the county council was prepared to make a contribution, I was prepared to go on with the scheme.
Will the Minister say why he departed from the recommendation of the inter-Departmental committee that the entire cost should be borne by the Exchequer?
Would the Deputy inform the House, the inter-Departmental committee and the members of the Donegal County Council why he did not carry out this work during the 16 years he was in office?
If the Minister will examine the report of the inter-Departmental committee, he will find that the development of the ports was part of a scheme for the reorganisation of transport in Donegal, that the scheme was in progress when the work was held up by the outbreak of the war and that immediately after the conclusion of the war work on the scheme was resumed. It necessitated, however, an examination of the relative merits of Rathmullan and the Thorn. This expert committee recommended in favour of Rathmullan, in favour of the construction of a pier at Rathmullan at the State expense.
Is this a supplementary question?
That recommendation was accepted by the inter-Departmental committee and the Government. If there has been a departure from it, may I be informed by the Minister of the reasons for the departure?
Mr. Blaney
I do not think the Minister has answered the question I put to him. I asked him if the engineers of the Office of Public Works who carried out a survey of Donegal harbours recommended in their report that Rathmullan Harbour, if reconstructed, would be most suitable for a deepsea port for Donegal.
A deepsea port?
Mr. Blaney
That recommendation was accepted and approved of by his predecessor, the Government to bear all the cost. Is that so?
In view of the fact that that decision alleged to have been taken——
Mr. Blaney
Alleged?
——by the Government was not announced, would the Deputy tell me where he got his information?
I informed him, and may I ask the Minister if he is aware that the published report of the committee on Donegal transport recommended the construction of this port at State expense?
As a deepsea port?
As a deepsea port.
Oh, go fish.
Was the Minister's decision published?
The report of the committee was published.
Was the Minister's decision published?
Certainly. The acceptance of the report by the Government was announced.
We know where the Deputy got the material for his question.
I got the material for the question from my knowledge of dealing with all these matters, including discussions with deputations from Rathmullan whom I met, as well as the Minister. The Minister has not answered my question as to why he departed from the recommendation of the inter-Departmental committee.