asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if the inquiry into the extraordinary excess expenditure on the new administration building for the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, Dublin, has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - IIRS Buildings.
14.
I am carrying out an in-depth inquiry into the matter referred to by the Deputy. A detailed statement on the findings of the inquiry will be made when this report has been received and considered.
When does the Minister expect this final report of the inquiry to be available to him?
The report should be available in the near future and as soon as it is considered a detailed statement will be made on its findings.
Would the Minister accept and agree that this is a very serious over-run on expenditure, that there are serious questions to be answered in relation to it and will he assure the House that he will bring the full extent of the inquiry and facts arising from it before this House when it is completed?
I fully shared the concern expressed by the Deputy when he was Minister. That concern is expressed by me by reason of the fact that an in-depth inquiry has been ordered with regard to the over-expenditure. I assure the Deputy that when the report of the findings has been received and considered a detailed statement will be made.
I asked the Minister if he would bring the full extent of the results of that inquiry before the House because it has serious implications for the spending of taxpayers' money. Will the Minister please answer that question "yes" or "no"?
I share the Deputy's concern and, as I have stated in my reply, a detailed statement will be made.
A statement?
Yes, as soon as possible.
Therefore we will not get the details at all; it will be a wash-over job again.
That is a reflection on me. I can assure the Deputy that I am most concerned about this matter.
We cannot have argument across the floor of the House at Question Time. It is not in order.
Will the Minister bring it before the House or not? I am asking a simple question and all that is required is an answer "yes" or "no".
I should like to assure the Deputy that I am concerned that the overrun in expenditure will be fully investigated and a detailed statement made.
Will the House get an opportunity of discussing the statement?
That matter will be considered when the report comes to hand.
15.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the present position relating to the electronics and metrology laboratory of the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards which is proposed for the NIHE campus in Limerick.
Because of the extremely difficult Exchequer position, the present Government have no alternative but to uphold the decision of the previous Government not to make any provision in the 1983 Estimates for the IIRS electronics and metrology laboratory for Limerick.
Will the Minister accept that as of 6 October last a figure of £1 million for 1983 was included for this purpose in the Estimates and that some time in the month of November the Department of Finance found it necessary, because of the serious loss of money referred to in Question No. 14 by Deputy Reynolds, to shift that £1 million from Limerick towards paying some of the serious overrun in expenditure in Dublin? In those circumstances will the Minister take steps to ensure that some money at least is restored for this purpose in 1983 so that the decision to build the laboratories can be proceeded with?
I must point out that the decision not to include a provision of £1 million in the 1983 Estimate was taken by the previous Government. It was upheld by the Coalition Government primarily because of a difficult Exchequer position which the last Government also experienced.
The Minister should reply to my supplementary. The Chair can see how Deputies can get frustrated when putting questions to this Minister of State. My supplementary was specific but the reply given by the Minister of State is exactly the same as the one he gave to the original question. The Minister of State also evaded answering the question put by Deputy Reynolds.
The Deputy is aware, more than I, that the Chair does not have any control over how questions are answered.
I appreciate that but it is infrequent in the House that questions are answered as incompetently as they are at present. If some effort was made to answer the questions asked the kind of difficulties the Chair and the House are experiencing could be avoided.
The Chair cannot permit submissions at Question Time.
It may not be to the Deputy's liking to be told that his Government excluded any provision in the Estimates for the Limerick project for 1983.
For the purpose which I referred to.
The Deputy's attack on me is ill-founded and is not in the best traditions of the House.
Will the Minister for State tell the House whether it is intended to go ahead with the decision to build laboratories in Limerick?
I have told the Deputy that provision was not made by the last Government or the present Government.
That is not an answer to my question. Is it now proposed to go ahead? Is the planning process still proceeding or has it been stopped?
Consideration of that project is ongoing but provision was not made this year for any expenditure.
Has a decision been made to change it?
I am moving on to the next question. The Minister should answer Question No. 16.
I indicated to the Chair that I wished to ask a supplementary question because I have a specific interest in the educational aspect of this matter.
The Chair has a discretion over this and I have called the next question. I regret to tell the Deputy that and I cannot go back on that decision.