asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when he will sign the lease for Tara Mines, County Meath.
74.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tara Mines.
73.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when he proposes to sign a mining lease with Tara Mines, Navan, County Meath.
75.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when work will re-commence at Tara Mines, Navan, County Meath.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 74 and 75 together.
The terms under which the lease of State minerals at Navan will be made available to Tara Mines Ltd., have been agreed with the company. The lease will be executed as soon as the complicated legal procedures involved have been settled.
Re-commencement of work at Navan is a matter for the operating company. I would expect that there will be no undue delay on the company's part in resuming work.
How long has this lease been with the Minister and how long have the legal people been trying to finalise it?
That is a separate question.
No, it is not. I am asking the Minister how long it is with him.
It is not in the question.
I would be pleased to have the opportunity of telling the House and the country that I am extremely anxious that work at Navan should resume. The delays are of an entirely technical and legal nature. The matter is in the hands of the lawyers of each side and not in the hands of civil servants or in my hands. The lawyers have exchanged a number of documents since the settlement in February and they are continuously working on them. I hope it will not be long. I want to see the matter expedited to the maximum extent.
When does the Minister think he will be signing this agreement?
If the Deputy has experience of the law's delays, his guess would be as good as mine. They have a technical job to do which is to complete a complicated lease. Personally I would rather weeks than months and I would rather days than weeks. The sooner the better as far as I am concerned.
Does the Minister realise that until this lease is signed Tara Mines will not be able to get the finance that will be needed to put the works——
That is a separate question.
It is not.
Is the Deputy ruling or is the Chair? No. 76.
I am asking the Minister——
Question 76.
You are protecting the Minister, as far as I can see, as the Ceann Comhairle did last week when we were asking supplementaries——
If the Deputy wishes to accuse the Chair, he has a set procedure for doing so, and the Chair invites him to do that.
What is the procedure?
A motion may be put down.
As long as we know.
The Deputy should know that, too.
I want to have it on the record of the House. We do not want to be threatened.
The Chair is threatening no one.
The Chair is threatening.
No, the Chair is threatening no one.