asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if the Government have issued a directive to the IDA forbidding their consideration or causing them to delay their consideration of the Soviet Government's offer to build a smelter on certain terms in the Republic.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building of Smelter.
15.
The answer to the Deputy's question is "no".
Perhaps there is something that we do not understand in this very complex proposal. Could the Minister explain why the proposal from the Soviet Union does not seem to be taken seriously, processed or details supplied in reply to submissions made by them? Is it physically impossible to consider it seriously?
The proposal, if one could call it that, from the Soviet Union is simply the same as proposals from perhaps ten or 12 different sources who are anxious to sell their technology for the building of a smelter but not to do any more than that and to have no part in the financing of it or in the subsequent marketing of the product. The position is that, unlike the statement by the Deputy, the Russians have been given the requisite information they sought and they accept that until the principals in the zinc smelter project have been selected no decision on Russian involvement is possible because, as I have said, their interests are confined to construction, supply of equipment and training of personnel all of which are questions to be determined by the principals. In these circumstances the Russians have accepted that there is no point in putting forward detailed proposals at this stage but they have asked to be kept informed of developments. When principals for the project have been selected the interest of the Russians will be brought to their attention. No further discussions have taken place between the IDA and Russian interests for these reasons since the meeting on 7 April 1978.
The IDA will inform them when significant developments take place?
They will, together with the ten or 12 other people who have made similar offers.