asked the Minister for Local Government the reason for the delay in sanctioning a tender submitted by a contractor for the housing scheme at Castlefin, County Donegal which was recommended by Donegal County Council.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Houses.
130.
I am not aware of any undue delay in approving the acceptance of a tender for this scheme. Donegal County Council's most recent proposal, which was received in my Department on 8th May, 1972, was approved on the 19th of the same month.
Could the Minister say when the first proposal was sent to his office and what was the delay in that case?
Is the Deputy referring to two different proposals?
I am referring to interference by the Minister for Labour and Senator McGowan in the Minister's Department——
I am not aware of any undue interference by anybody. I do not know what the Deputy is talking about.
The Minister may not know what I am talking about but I want to know why a tender submitted by Mr. McGinn from Omagh was not sanctioned in time and why there was political interference to see that the second-lowest tender would not be accepted?
That would be a separate question.
What is separate about it?
The Deputy is changing the wording of his question.
I am asking about the delay in sanctioning a tender submitted by a contractor for a housing scheme at Castlefin. I am saying that a contractor from Omagh submitted a tender——
The Deputy is supplying information to the House.
The Minister does not know what I am talking about and I am asking him is he aware that a tender submitted by the McGinn Company from Omagh lay in his Department's office until the man was fed up waiting and I allege that the Minister for Labour, Deputy Brennan, and a Senator from Donegal interfered with the normal process of sanctioning a tender——
The Deputy is making a statement; he is not asking a question.
——resulting in a delay of more than two years in the building of these houses at Castlefin. I want to know is it a fact that the Minister for Labour and Senator McGowan——
The Deputy will have to put down a question to that effect if he wishes to ask that kind of question.
What other way can I put it? I have asked why was there such delay in sanctioning a tender.
If the Deputy wishes to alter the terms he will have to do so.
In what way?
The Deputy is putting a question in a different form. The Chair is just saying if he wishes information on a different form of question he should put it down.
I am asking the Minister if he would either confirm or deny the terrible allegations in Donegal——
Yes, but the Chair is only concerned with the question on the Order Paper.
This to me is political corruption.
I accept the ruling of the Chair on this.
You will accept the rule of the Chair but it is a fact that the lowest tender was from a Fianna Fáil supporter. The only interest you have in the matter is who is going to build the houses.
131.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the chronic housing shortage at Lifford, County Donegal; if he has received any communication from Donegal County Council in the matter; and what action he proposes to take.
I am aware that there is a need for more houses in Lifford. Recently I approved a proposal from Donegal County Council for the appointment of a consultant architect to prepare plans for a further scheme, in addition to the scheme on which work is nearing completion in the town.
We can take the assurance of the Minister that there will be no political corruption in this one?
There has not been any political corruption in any scheme.
Of course there has.
There has been none whatsoever.
It would make the Unionists in the North blush with shame.
The Deputy's imagination is running away with him.