asked the Minister for Finance if he will state (a) from which of the foreign insurance syndicates enumerated by the Minister for Industry and Commerce in reply to a question on 21st May, 1952, tenders were received by the Commissioners of Public Works in respect of employers' liability risks for the year beginning 1st April, 1952; (b) the name or number of the syndicate whose tender was accepted and (c) the amount by which the premium contracted to be paid on foot of the accepted tender was under the lowest premium specified in the tender submitted by or on behalf of non-foreign insurance companies.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foreign Insurance Syndicates.
The tender accepted by the Commissioners of Public Works for employers' liability insurance for the year beginning 1st April, 1952, was submitted by Irish Overseas Insurance Brokers on behalf of Syndicates E.28 and E.36. No tender was received from any of the other insurance syndicates referred to by the Deputy in the first part of his question. It would be contrary to established practice to disclose the information requested in the last part of the Deputy's question.
I am at a loss. First of all we have to put down all these questions to get information and then we do not get the information. May I, or may I not, be told now that the insurance was lodged with an Irish company and the money invested in this country by the Board of Works?
It was lodged with the company provided for in the Insurance Act, 1936, under Section 21 of that Act.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary could reply to the question asked.
All I am asking is, was it lodged with an Irish company? That is a simple question.
I have given the Deputy the name of the company.
What?
If it was so detrimental to the national wellbeing, I wonder why nothing was done about it for three and a half years of the Coalition Government.
Arising out of that reply, I asked similar questions on the same subject during the past three years. I have not yet got the information I am seeking. For what reason I do not know.
And Deputy MacBride did not ask any supplementary questions.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary answer the question? Was the insurance lodged with an Irish company?
I have given the name of the insurance brokers and, as I have stated, they are provided for under the Act.
I am not blaming the Parliamentary Secretary. He is not replying to the question I asked. Irish Overseas Insurance Brokers are not an Irish company. For the last time, will I be told now whether or not the Board of Works lodged this insurance with an Irish company?
I can assure the Deputy that the company was neither shown favour nor given preference other than what is provided for by an Act of the Oireachtas.
That is not the point at all.
The Parliamentary Secretary need only answer the question I asked.