As I was saying, when I opened my concluding statement there were three points and I was dealing with the three in rotation. On point No. 3, which I was about to begin, I wanted to ask as to whether the best interests had been served in making the sale to the three individuals whose names were given by the Minister in reply to Dáil questions here. The one thing that struck me as unusual and unsatisfactory in the main was that the Minister's sole point was that he acted on the recommendation of An Bord Fáilte. I am aware that An Bord Fáilte gets its information and generally takes its direction with regard to the Tramore property from the three directors who reside and work on the property in Tramore. It was but natural, then, that should An Bord Fáilte seek from those directors advice as to how the property was to be disposed of, they would naturally and very humanly feel that they, because of the unpaid services that they had given and the extensive knowledge that they had, would be the more responsible and better qualified people to be appointed as the people who should purchase, and that they should recommend to An Bord Fáilte, not only that it should be sold by private treaty, but that it should be sold at the price that they, in all honesty, believed was the proper price. Unfortunately, they being both sellers and buyers in these circumstances, it is but natural that a suspicion that should never arise with regard to public property would arise because An Bord Fáilte accepted their recommendation and passed it on to the Minister, who, in turn, agreed to that suggestion.
Let me say in fairness to the Minister that he did not agree wholeheartedly. In the first recommendation the price of approximately £20,000, I think, was recommended to him. He refused to accept it, and he sent it back with a request that a better offer should be made before he would agree. The wisdom of what he did was clearly seen when a further advance of £3,500, making a total of £23,500, was forthcoming within a short time. I feel that in all those circumstances there was a case for a select inquiry—not, as I said at the start, to establish a wrong done by the Minister or by his Department, and certainly no suggestion of a wrong by the property buyers, but of a fact, that because of the fact of who bought it, the circumstances in which it was sold and the price paid for it, it caused an uneasiness and a suspicion that it was absolutely necessary to clear up.
As I said when I was making the case for adjourning the debate, certain circumstances have since happened. I understand—and I think that in all fairness to the present owners this should be made public—that they have now offered—my information comes from the Tramore Town Commissioners —to hand over that property provided they are recouped the money they spent on it and whatever expenses were incurred to the Tramore Town Commissioners as such if they have the authority to raise the money and to purchase the property and to use it in the interests of the ratepayers of Tramore. Because of that offer, which appears to me to be a bona fide one, which appears to me to be an honest one, I feel that it is not necessary for me to press this motion to a division. I am content that I have carried out my duty as a representative of the constituency of Waterford acting on behalf of the local interests, interests elected by the free vote of the people in the town commissionership of Tramore. I was not motivated either by political spite or by any Party advantage. As the sole Opposition Deputy of the constituency of Waterford it behoved me to express the views of the local people when called upon to do so. I can sympathise with my fellow Deputies who, because of Party connections, were not as free to express the feelings contrary to the sale that were circulating in Waterford. I respect the fact that had the position been altered I might have been forced into the same position. But I would say that the mere fact that such a motion as I have tabled and have spoken to has drawn a reply from the Minister and given an opportunity to Deputies of this House to indulge in a free and frank discussion of it is a manifestation of democracy that this House should be proud to have.
I suggest that this motion has served in some small way the purpose for which I moved it and I will be very happy if that fact is finalised in a satisfactory settlement which will bring honour on all parties concerned.
