asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the present position with regard to the Alcan project at Aughinish Island, County Limerick.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Limerick Project.
13.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar question on this matter on 1st June, 1976 to which I would add that the Industrial Development Authority are maintaining contact with the Alcan company.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that a Member of this House who is also a member of the Government is on public record in recent times as saying he was quite satisfied that the Alcan project would be going ahead immediately. If one member of the Government says that, then surely the Minister responsible for it should be able to give more information to the house than that the IDA are keeping in touch with these people.
The Deputy will appreciate that our problem in relation to the establishment of a project of this sort is governed by the demand for the type of material being produced, and it is a matter in the first instance for the company itself to decide whether it can proceed. The latest factual information I have on the situation is that contact is being maintained with the Alcan company. The Deputy will understand that they made their position clear in a Press release on 19th December, 1975, when they stated that they would not be able to go ahead as planned because of the situation then obtaining in the world market for the product in question, but that a review of the situation was to take place within 12 to 18 months at that stage. I presume this review is being carried out by Alcan at the moment.
There is nothing in the Parliamentary Secretary's brief which would indicate to the House that any decision has been taken to go ahead with that scheme? As I understand the position from what the Parliamentary Secretary said, the matter is still under review as it has been since 18th December, 1975, and whatever statement was made by a Member of the Government about this project going ahead in the near future was not true.
I regret to say I have no information on a statement by a Member of the Government on this matter. Therefore I cannot comment on it. The situation as I outline it in my reply is the situation as I understand it to be at the moment.
The Parliamentary Secretary can take my word for it that such a statement was made by the Minister for the Gaeltacht at a Fine Gael function in the West Limerick constituency in the recent past.