asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the position in regard to the future of a factory premises (name supplied) in Portlaoise; and if a suitable industry has been obtained to take over the premises.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Portlaoise Factory Premises.
35.
The Industrial Development Authority are continuing their efforts to secure a replacement industry for the premises in question.
Interest continues to be expressed in the premises but there are no firm proposals currently before the authority.
In the absence of Deputy Enright I should like to ask the Minister is he aware that the Vice-President of the European Parliament announced in Portlaoise in March last that a suitable alternative industry had been procured for those premises in Portlaoise, whereas a week later his colleague, Deputy Flanagan, announced that there was not a prospect of its coming? Is the Minister aware that as a result of these conflicting statements made by Government Deputies in the constituency in relation to a replacement industry for the industry mentioned in the reply, the former workers and generally the people of Portlaoise are in a state of bewilderment because recently the IDA indicated that the party that were originally interested and who were subsequently reported to have gone elsewhere are still interested?
We have an example here of the danger of saying too much at an early stage. I would, of course, reject the suggestion that members of the Opposition had no part in the existing unfortunate confusion. The fact of the matter is that negotiations did reach an advanced stage in March of this year in regard to a firm which was to take over the premises but the negotiations did not end in the signing of an agreement and in the going ahead of that firm. The negotiations were advanced but did not go to completion. There was some publicity about this and I can understand that there is some uncertainty in Portlaoise as a result, which I regret. But, the effort, as I have said, to find a replacement industry is continuing vigorously and if I do not say more it is not because of indifference but because I am not anxious to provide information at a time when things are uncertain. Were I to do that I might contribute more to the sort of insecurity that the Deputy refers to and which I very well understand. It is not a matter of indifference; it is certainly not that the situation is hopeless but sometimes premature disclosure is unhelpful.
I fully accept and fully agree with the Minister that I should not press him for further information if that would in any way interfere with prospects. What the Minister said would in a way indicate that the premature announcement did interfere with prospects. The Minister indicated that the Opposition—in this case I would be 50 per cent—did contribute to the confusion. Is the Minister alleging that I in any way contributed to this confusion? I am fully conscious of what the IDA are doing and am always extremely pleased with what they do. I did not contribute to the confusion. The Minister must be aware of this and I would ask him to withdraw the allegation.
Acting Chairman
A supplementary question has been put.
I thought the Minister was not answering. He did not seem to me to be about to answer.
A certain gloss was put on what I said by the Deputy. I chose my words carefully. They are on the record.
The Minister said it was contributed to by the Opposition.
I invite the Deputy to study the record of what I have said——
The Deputy is contradicting the allegation which the Minister made which is on the record.
——and to pursue the question if he so wishes but there is nothing that I wish to withdraw.
In view of the Minister's announcement of the damage that premature announcements can do, I wonder if he would possibly convey that view of his to the Government Information Service because the number of public announcements that particular body is making which subsequently transpire to be not alone premature but very often totally mistaken is completely debasing the coinage of Government announcements in recent times.
This is another example of the widening of a question. We were discussing the matter of announcements of proposed or actual industrial investment. I have made it clear that premature announcement can be disadvantageous. In cases where there has been premature announcement or, not even announcement, but where premature rumours did gain currency in newspapers in my period of office I have had them investigated and I am satisfied that it has neither come from the IDA, which is responsible and cautious in its approach to publicity, nor has it come from any Government source.
Is Deputy McDonald a Government source?
Where did he get the information?
Acting Chairman
Question No. 36.