Vol. 343 No. 9
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £97,726,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1983, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Public Works; for certain domestic expenses; for expenditure in respect of public and certain other buildings; for the maintenance of certain parks and public works; for the execution and maintenance of drainage and other engineering works.
I have prepared a speech which will last much longer than the allotted time. I should like to give the Opposition spokesman some time but we now have less than five minutes so I am sure he realises the problem I have even though I would like to accommodate him. Is there any hope of getting an extension of time?
No, there was an agreement made yesterday.
This is a wide-ranging Estimate and it is farcical to be in this position.
I know it is always difficult to make any alteration but it is farcical to attempt to get through this Estimate in five minutes. I gather from our spokesperson on Education that she would not be opposed to delaying her graceful entry until 1 o'clock. That would give us an opportunity of having some semblance of debate.
I am sorry but there was an order made yesterday and agreed between the Whips that this group of Estimates would finish at 12.30 p.m. I told your own spokesman that there were only 40 minutes to conclude the debate but he spoke until after 12 o'clock. It is a pity we have only three minutes left and even that time is not being used to discuss the Estimate.
I was here this morning when the Minister for Finance made so bold as to suggest that there might be a change.
An order of the House was made yesterday and I merely suggested this morning a means by which we could, while respecting the order of the House, ensure that we did have a debate on the points on which the Deputy is speaking. However, I did not this morning propose any change in the order.
The net amount allocated for the Vote for Public Works and Buildings for 1983 is £97,726,00, which represents an increase of approximately 10 per cent over the 1982 outturn.
The cost of staffing and servicing the Office of Public Works is met from subheads A to C for which I am seeking an amount of £13,620,000.
On subhead D a sum of £500,000 is the amount required to cover the purchase of sites and buildings for various Government services including the acquisition of the fee simple of some existing leasehold properties.
An amount of £29,982,000 will be required under subhead E to cover the cost of carrying out new works, alterations and additions including furnishing and fitting out of new buildings for Government Departments and other State purposes. This represents a major injection of capital into the building industry which is very badly needed at this time. It will ensure the continuance of employment in the industry on a large and widespread scale.
I have circulated among Deputies copies of the list showing the individual projects covered by this subhead and this gives a good idea of the varied nature and widespread location of these projects.
A large proportion of the money is needed for the erection of new office buildings and the fitting-out of rented accommodation. There is an ongoing need to replace unsuitable accommodation and good progress is being made towards that objective not only in Dublin but in provincial areas as well.
Sums totalling over £3 million are required for accommodation for the Garda Síochána. Over £2 million of this is for the erection of new Garda stations and major improvement schemes. In addition to a number of smaller projects, we are now turning our attention to the replacement of divisional and district headquarters throughout the country. This year starts will be made on the provision of divisional headquarters at Galway and Monaghan and district headquarters at Mayfield and Gurranabraher in Cork and at Belmullet, Caherciveen and Nenagh.
It is now 12.30 and time for the Opposition spokesman to speak.
There are points which I feel I must make. I am prepared to give way if the Opposition spokesman insists on coming in, but I have not made the speech a copy of which I have given to the Opposition. They will have no time to reply and I do not know the solution to this problem. I would be most anxious to have a proper, lengthy debate on this Estimate. If the Deputy is suggesting that I should let him speak now, I certainly will do that.
An arrangement was made this morning that the Office of Public Works would be discussed from 12 to 12.30.
I did explain what had happened. It is not for me to allow time.
Our Shadow Minister for Education has said that she will allow that ten minutes from their Estimate.
On a point of order, my understanding was that all the Estimates were to be finished by 12.30. That was the order made yesterday in the House. There was an agreement, as I understood it, between the Opposition and the Government side — not a tight agreement, as was explained at the time that Vote 9: Office of Public Works, would be taken at about 12 o'clock. It was taken at 12.28 and I am in the unfortunate position that I want this Estimate debated and I have given a copy of my intended full speech to the spokesman for the Opposition. How can he deal with that, unless I make that speech? We would be very restricted, even getting the half-hour. The time has gone now, anyway.
I have no objection to a further ten minutes debate on this Estimate.
If there is to be a ten minute debate, how do we divide that time?
Is the Minister of State moving that the order made yesterday be extended for ten minutes?
If that is possible.
If someone says 20 minutes, some other Deputy will say 30 minutes.
Any advance on 30?
Perhaps we could cut out ten minutes on each.
I suggest that the Opposition speaker gets ten minutes when the Minister of State has finished his speech.
Is it accepted that the debate will be concluded at 12.45 p.m.?
I shall put as quickly as possible the points which must be made. I was speaking about Garda headquarters at Galway and Monaghan and district headquarters at Mayfield and Gurranabraher in Cork and at Belmullet, Caherciveen and Nenagh. Building will also begin on new stations at Arklow and at Blackrock, Cork. The Dublin Metropolitan area is not, of course, being neglected. Work is progressing on the fitting out of premises at Harcourt Square which will serve as their new headquarters. The first phase of the development should be ready for occupation shortly.
There is also an extensive programme of work on hands for the Department of Foreign Affairs, the major item of which is the provision of the facilities required at Dublin Castle and at Iveagh House in connection with Ireland's term of Presidency of the EEC in 1984. The facilities and services provided during previous presidencies attracted many favourable comments and I am sure that the works proposed now will achieve equally good results.
This subhead also covers works within the commissioners' own sphere of responsibility at national parks and on the Shannon Navigation.
Earlier this week the commissioners' role in relation to national parks was highlighted by the Golden Jubilee celebrations for the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park in Killarney. While it is right that the success of this park be emphasised one must not lose sight of the fact that this is only one of four national parks that the commissioners have in their care and are developing; the others are in the Burren, Connemara and Glenveagh, County Donegal.
The importance of preserving areas of great natural beauty for the enjoyment and education of the public is acknowledged internationally and the commissioners by the developments they are undertaking in this field are ensuring that such areas are not lost to the people of Ireland. In 1983 the commissioners will expend in excess of £3 million in maintaining the existing parks and will continue to extend and develop them according as resources allow.
The commissioners are continuing with their ongoing programme for the development of the Shannon Navigation and in 1983 an amount of £100,000 will be spent on major new works at Drumsna, County Leitrim and Williamstown, County Clare. In addition to this the commissioners will also spend £685,000 on maintaining existing facilities on the navigation, the cost of which will be met from subhead F.1.
While the level of boating holidays taken on the Shannon in 1982 showed a decrease from the level of the previous year, it is hoped that the works the commissioners undertake in providing new and improved navigational facilities and maintaining the high standard of existing ones will induce more people, both from at home and abroad, to sample the delights of both the water and land based holidays that are available in the Shannon region.
Indeed, due in part to their success in operating the Shannon Navigation it is proposed to expand the commissioners' role in relation to our inland waterways by transferring to them, from CIE, responsibility for the Grand and Royal Canals. Officials from my office, in conjunction with officials from the Department of Transport and CIE, are drafting the necessary legislation which will give effect to this transfer and I assure the House that the Minister for Transport and I will be pressing for the earliest possible introduction of this legislation.
Subheads F.1 to F.4 cover the maintenance, furnishing, leasing, heating and lighting of Government offices and various other buildings used for State purposes. The cost of this with the cost of maintenance of certain State-owned harbours, the River Shannon Navigation and the various national parks is met from subheads F.1, F.2, F.3 and F.4 for which I am seeking an amount of £48,474,000.
In regard to subhead F.1 I am sure I do not have to stress to the House the importance of maintaining buildings and property generally. Large amounts of public funds have been invested in these assets and it is absolutely essential that they should not be allowed to deteriorate. The commissioners are very conscious of their responsibility in this area and this is reflected in the amount of over £20 million which is needed for the maintenance subhead.
I am seeking a provision of £2,915,000 for subhead F.2 to meet the cost of supplying and maintaining the furniture and furnishings required in State premises throughout the country and in Irish Embassies abroad.
This is a significant increase on last year's expenditure which was kept at an artifically low level by postponing all but the most urgently needed supplies. It is necessary this year to deal with the backlog. Stringent criteria will continue to be applied to the replacement of worn-out furniture.
Perhaps the Minister of State would allow me to give the Opposition spokesman some time?
Subhead F.3 provides for rents on premises leased by the State through the Commissioners of Public Works. There is an increase over the expenditure in 1982. Subhead F.4, for which I am seeking £7,850,000, covers the cost of heating and lighting State accommodation.
The Minister will have to come to the point.
The Opposition spokesman has a copy of my speech and I would like him to have time to criticise what I am saying here. I want to give him that opportunity but he can hardly talk publicly about something which I did not mention. That is why I am trying to get through all the points. If the Opposition spokesman feels that I have said enough, I will give him the opportunity to reply right now. I do not want to be unreasonable in any way.
First of all, I congratulate the Minister of State on being appointed again to that office which is responsible for the Office of Public Works and I wish him well. I want to deal with the subject of national parks. I notice that this year only £35,000 is being spent on these parks, of which we have four beautiful ones in the country. We have one in Glenveagh, County Donegal, one in Connemara, one in the Burren in County Clare and one in Killarney in my own county of Kerry. What is the up-to-date position about the opening to the public of the castle in Glenveagh national park? What about the access roads which are being made into that park and the development of the park in general? This is important and I would like that information at some time.
With regard to the Connemara national park, in the initial stages 4,000 acres were purchased. In 1980, negotiations were going on to purchase more land. Has that land been purchased and have the access roadways which were being made to that park been completed? In the Burren in County Clare in 1980 we were on the point of purchasing more land. This is a unique national park in Europe. Are they still negotiating about purchase of land in the Burren? The Phoenix Park is not a national park but it is one of the biggest in Europe. This park is in a deplorable condition. There is a vacancy for a superintendent there and nobody has yet been appointed. By way of parliamentary question recently I found out there has been a reduction in the number of staff employed. The footpaths are in a dangerous and dirty condition. The park is more like a derelict site than a park.
There is an allocation of £5,000 for the National Heritage Centre. Last year £25,000 was spent on it. Are the Government going ahead with the centre? Very little money has been allocated for arterial drainage, £15,243,000. The Boyne, the Corrib, the Robe, the Mask and the Bonet are being drained. This is being 50 per cent EEC-funded. This in fact means the Government need only spend £8 million on drainage since the drainage of most rivers is 50 per cent EEC-funded.
In 1980 we were given a 50 per cent grant to carry out a survey on the Shannon. The Office of Public Works advertised for engineers to carry out the work. No money has been allocated to carry out that survey this year. The Shannon is in need of dredging. Nine counties are flooded by the Shannon. There is good fertile land adjoining the Shannon and it is important that the river be dredged so that farmers whose land adjoins it can avail of the grants. Dredging of the Dunkellin has not commenced. The River Lee in Kerry, which flows into Tralee, is causing widespread flooding. A survey was done on this river in 1980 and I ask the Minister of State to put this on the list for next year. The River Blackwater in Cork is causing extensive flooding to land in the Fermoy and Mallow areas.
In his speech the Minister said great progress was made in providing accommodation for civil servants in Dublin and provincial areas. I do not agree. In 1980 in Tralee town OPW bought a site to rehouse civil servants, 200 in all, but the building has not yet been proceeded with. Civil servants in Tralee are in need of accommodation. The water is coming in through the roof of the employment exchange in Tralee. The decentralisation plan has been cancelled by the Government. I do not blame the Minister of State because that was a Cabinet decision.
The Deputy must conclude. It is now 12.45 p.m. and it was agreed that we would conclude at that time.
Give me two minutes.
No, Deputy, I cannot.
OPW bought sites and designed 12 buildings. Now they are not going ahead with decentralisation. The Minister should ask to be allowed to be present when the Government are preparing budget estimates because he runs a very important Department. It is important that he should make a case for his own Department. It is no one's baby. The Minister of State should be present when the Estimates are being discussed at budget time. It would be a considerable help to the Department.
I will reply to the Deputy's points and if anyone else has a query please contact me.
