Vol. 241 No. 5
asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the major implications contained in the Buchanan Report concerning the future industrial and social infra-structure of the State he is prepared to make a statement on this report before the summer recess of the House.
14.
asked the Minister for Local Government the date on which the Buchanan investigation was commissioned; the date on which the Government received the report; and when his Department intends to state in public its views on this report.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together.
The Buchanan Report was commissioned by the United Nations Organisation, in association with An Foras Forbartha, in October, 1966. The report was received in September, 1968, except for the technical appendices which were received in November, 1968. The Government issued a statement on the report in May, 1969.
It will not be possible to add to what has been said already until further consideration of the matter on the lines indicated in my reply on 9th instant to other questions about the report has been completed.
Does the Minister fully appreciate that he and his fellow Cabinet Ministers have had a series of comprehensive and quite unambiguous reports from a multitude of bodies: the Committee on Industrial Organisation, a special inter-departmental committee, recommendations from the National Industrial and Economic Council, in addition to the Buchanan report? In the circumstances, has no composite strategy for growth centres yet been devised by the Government, notwithstanding five years of solid advice from such organisations and experts commissioned for this work?
We shall state our decisions on the Buchanan Report when it has been considered adequately by the Government and not until then.
Is the Minister aware of the grave disquiet nationally which certainly must percolate to organisations such as the Industrial Development Authority trying to devise a strategy for industrial development, and of the serious concern because of the failure of the Government to issue immediately to the nation its plans in relation to industrial growth centres? Indeed, Northern Ireland, notwithstanding the turmoil there, have been doing it for the past four or five years.
There is no need for such disquiet.
In the meantime could the Minister make copies of the report available to Deputies? It was never circulated.
I shall look into that.
Could the Minister ensure that copies of the technical appendices will be made available in the Dáil Library where they are not at present?
Yes.
