asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of recent statements by senior management of Erin Foods Ltd., predicting that the company will have to restrict acreage and reduce factory employment for some considerable period ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Erin Foods Ltd.
103.
I take it that the Deputy is referring to an article by the general manager of Erin Foods in Biatas, the magazine of the Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teoranta group, in which he outlined the difficulties facing the company at present. The boards of CSET and Erin Foods have submitted proposals to my Department in relation to the future of the food processing project. These proposals are at present under examination and a full statement will be made at an early date.
May I ask the Minister if he has received proposals from the management of this company concerning their future liability? Has he received at very frequent intervals a whole series of memoranda, proposals and details from this company which seem to have remained buried on the Minister's desk with very little direction going to this company, apart from the pre-occupation of the Minister in terms of who should get jobs, in terms of reappointment, or who should get on to the board of the company?
Deputy Desmond, of course, has no basis whatever or no evidence whatever for his statement, as is the case in regard to many of his statements.
I have plenty of evidence.
When he talks about the preoccupation of the Minister with who should get the appointments, would he offer one iota of evidence to this House for that statement or is this another of his widely distributed——
Which statement is the Minister challenging?
Was the Deputy not listening? I will repeat. The Deputy stated that the Minister was pre-occupied with the question of who should get the new appointments. I am asking him has he one iota of evidence for that statement.
Would the Minister accept that there was some clash between himself and the Taoiseach as to who should in fact——
Question No. 104. This is enlarging the scope of questions.
Not only is it enlarging the scope of questions but it is completely untrue. No decision whatever has been made and no discussion has taken place in regard to who would be appointed to the new board.
This is an abuse of Question Time.
The Government sacked Gerry Jones and then the Taoiseach sent for Gerry Jones and said that Colley sacked him without his knowing it.
This is an abuse of Question Time.
Yes, it is. We are showing up Deputy Desmond in his true colours. I know Deputy Desmond made a statement for which he has no evidence whatever and which I personally know to be untrue. I have given him an opportunity to justify what he has said and he has uttered another statement which has no basis in fact.
May I advise the Minister that he should ring Tony O'Reilly and get all the information?
Maybe the Deputy has information from a quarter such as that. If he has let me tell him that it is untrue.
We know what is going on.
I know. I am the one who is directly involved. I know the truth.
The Minister will not settle it all out in Rathgar.
Maybe the Deputy thinks that there are some friends of his who may be in difficulty, and there may be too.
My friends are well able to look after themselves.