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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Jul 1963

Vol. 204 No. 9

Adjournment Debate. - Bord Fáilte Tourist Grants.

On the motion for the Adjournment, Deputy T. Lynch gave notice that he would raise the subject matter of Question No. 29 on today's Order Paper.

I asked the Minister for Transport and Power today if he is supplied with particulars of tourist grants from Bord Fáilte and he replied:

The provision of grant assistance for resort development is a statutory function of Bord Fáilte Eireann. Particulars of resort development grants are contained in the report and accounts which the Board submit to me each year and which are presented by me to the Oireachtas.

The Minister has been doing this since he became Minister for Transport and Power. When I say "this," I mean the type of answer the Minister has been giving to questions. I did not ask him whether it was a statutory function of Bord Fáilte or not. I asked if he was supplied with the particulars. I asked the Minister a supplementary question and he put me off again.

The reason I put down this question is that on 7th March I asked a question as to the grants allocated for tourist development, the names of the resorts, the amounts, the description of the development and the amount of the local contribution. I asked the same question on 11th July and I had letters from you, Sir, disallowing the question and stating that the Minister had no responsibility in the matter. The Minister told me today I can look at the report of Bord Fáilte. When I look at it, I get a bulk figure of £63,000 for major resorts. I get a garbled account on page 33 of the Board's report for the year ended 31st March, 1962. This is the last available report in the Dáil Library. This gives no breakdown of the figures.

It is not fair that Deputies should be refused answers by the Minister for Transport and Power when they table questions. He has the breakdown and he will not give it to us. He has said here on many occasions that he has no responsibility but in reference to another Department, at column 358, volume 198, of the Official Reports, he told us he had a responsibility. If the Minister will give me these figures now, I will give way to him. Does the Minister intend to give me the figures?

When the Deputy has concluded, I will make my reply.

The replies which the Minister has given me have been so unsatisfactory that I cannot take that from him. Very representative people in my constituency have asked me to put down this question and I consider that the Minister should answer it.

Mr. Browne

I wish to avail of this opportunity to address a question or two to the Minister in connection with a very important problem in my constituency in North Mayo, concerning CIE. I have made various——

The question relates only to tourist grants.

Mr. Browne

Yes.

It deals entirely with statistics.

Mr. Browne

I agree, and bow to your ruling, Sir, but I was merely asking the Minister to intercede in connection with the closing of the Foxford railway——

I protest——

That has nothing to do with the question.

Mr. Browne

I have asked questions and I have a letter saying——

The Deputy will have to get some other opportunity of raising that matter. I cannot allow it now.

On a point of order, if we are prepared to spend money on certain areas, say, the Deputy's area, and people cannot get there by railway, what is the purpose——

That is not a point of order.

Mr. Browne

I was going to ask the Minister to intercede to bring about a peaceful settlement.

This is completely out of order.

Mr. Browne

Is it in order for the chairman of CIE to send me——

I cannot allow the Deputy to proceed. It is an abuse of the Adjournment Debate. The Deputy will have to resume his seat.

Mr. Browne

I appeal to the Minister to bring about a peaceful settlement.

I have already explained frequently in this House that Bord Fáilte are entrusted with carrying out the work of major resort development. For that purpose, they have to negotiate with numerous private associations and local authorities in order to get a number of different sorts of work carried out.

Why will the Minister not answer the question?

The Deputy is not going to interrupt me. If he does, I will not answer him. He can sit still.

I will not sit still because the Minister tells me to.

The Deputy's attitude to this whole matter will not get him information.

(Interruptions.)

Deputies have raised a matter on the Adjournment and put it to the Minister for Transport and Power and surely they want to hear the Minister's explanation? If the Deputy will not restrain himself, I shall have to close the debate.

I was saying that Bord Fáilte have to carry on negotiations for different kinds of improvements with private associations and with local authorities, and in these negotiations there is a question of a Bord Fáilte grant and a contribution by the local authority and there is also the question of the rasing of guaranteed loans by various associations. I am quite determined, as was my predecessor, that the work should be carried out by Bord Fáilte on a continuous basis and should not be subject to day-to-day examination by Deputies in this House or by the auditors.

It was clearly indicated in the Tourist Traffic Bill that they should be allowed to proceed with their development programme and that the programme could be criticised from year to year. All reasonable questions with regard to the scope of resort development could then be answered. I myself each year review the expenditure of Bord Fáilte on every head. I make suggestions and proposals on each head in regard to the scope of the major resort programme, I look at the total amount of money available, which has been declared by the Dáil each year to be £1 million and cannot exceed that figure, I examine the progress, taking the position of the country as a whole, and endeavour to see that the scope of the major resort scheme is satisfactory.

Just as in the case of the Electricity Supply Board and other State companies, having agreed with the programme generally, I allow Bord Fáilte to go ahead with their work. In the annual report of Bord Fáilte, there is given a list of places where planned development is taking place. The rate of the development depends on all sorts of matters, such as the associations being able to raise guaranteed loans and a number of other matters. The progress may be very rapid in some cases or very slow in others. Works may be cancelled in the middle of the financial year because, for some reason or another, the consent of all the parties involved, sometimes private landowners, has not been secured.

It would not be of any practical use to give to the Dáil detailed figures, but if the Deputy would like some more information than is given in the Bord Fáilte report, I shall ask the Director General to break down the expenditure for the year as between the resorts, say, of Galway as compared with Kerry or Waterford. I shall have that information made available in future if that is required, so that Deputies will have an idea of how the expenditure is being divided in a slightly more detailed way. That will still leave the initiative with Bord Fáilte. It will still enable them to carry out a programme of work each year without interference and without any interruption of that programme from year to year.

Will that be available to all Deputies?

That is intention.

The Minister could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had said that this afternoon. I would have thanked him for the information then, but he gets no thanks now at this late hour.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 19th July 1963.

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