asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the length of time the lease for Tara Mines has been under consideration in his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tara Mines Lease.
8.
The agreement entered into with Tara Mines Ltd. on 14th February, 1975 envisaged a lease the terms of which have since then been under consideration. Details of the relevant legal instruments have been under examination by both sides and a considerable number of exchanges have taken place between the respective professional advisers. The Deputy can rest assured that so far as I am concerned, the transaction will be completed as soon as the relevant documents have been agreed by both sides and matters outstanding on the company's side have been settled.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that development in this mine has been closed down since last August, a period of 11 months, and that 1,000 people or more who could be working there are not working and this at a time when we have 102,000 unemployed in the middle of the summer? Does he not think it advisable that the signing of this lease should be expedited?
I would agree that the signing of the lease should be expedited to the maximum possible extent, but the Deputy will appreciate that there must be agreement between the two sides as to the precise terms of the lease and these are under negotiation. In fact I can tell the Deputy that a meeting took place as recently as last Friday in relation to this matter at which substantial progress was made. I cannot go beyond that.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that one of the reasons for the delay in the signing of the lease is that some of the terms which were announced and agreed on the 14th February are now being changed on the part of the Minister?
I think that is not the case.