asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the reason for the delay in providing the Green Paper on national energy policy promised by him on 18 February 1978.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - National Energy Policy .
18.
: There has been no delay in providing the Green Paper or discussion document on energy problems, preparation of which is well advanced.
: When addressing the annual conference of his party on 18 February last does the Minister not recall saying that the discussion document would be forthcoming within a few weeks?
: I think I said I hoped it would be available in six weeks or so. The document is a great deal longer and more involved than I had anticipated at that time. I am glad in a sense that one cannot avoid having as full an exposition as possible on at least certain aspects of energy problems.
: Would the Minister tell the House whether or not dissent among his advisers on the question of the nuclear option in particular has played any part in the delay?
: There has been no dissent and therefore it has not played any part in the delay.
: As the House cannot debate the contents of this document until next November at the earliest, when is it likely to be published?
: I am hopeful that the writing of the document, which is on the fifth draft, will be finished at the end of this week and that it will be passed by the Government and go to the printers some time next week. I presume it will be printed in a week so that it may be published the week after that. I am slow to give an undertaking in that regard because these things sometimes take longer than anticipated.
: Does the Minister want the publication to coincide with the Green Paper on the economy to distract some attention from the latter?
: It will not be necessary to distract attention from the Green Paper. When the Deputy sees the Green Paper on the economy he will agree that it is an excellent document.