The workers at the Clondalkin Paper Mills have fought for their jobs now for two years past. At least they have no political axe to grind on this issue. Regrettably, however, the same cannot be said for the Fianna Fáil Party. To an uninformed observer who might have dropped into this Assembly last evening and who might have heard Fianna Fáil speakers here pontificating, one would have thought that they, and they only, were the great nationalisers of this age, all of a sudden, the great keepers of promises and the great would-be openers of the Clondalkin Paper Mills. Deputy Lenihan and Deputy Harney gave us here an apparently exhaustive and comprehensive account of all the commitments given by all and sundry to open the Clondalkin Paper Mills. They referred to the commitment of the Fine Gael Party, they referred to the commitment of Deputy Skelly, they referred to the commitment of the Tánaiste, Deputy Dick Spring. They gave full details of all commitments given except one, their own. That one they conveniently forgot to mention. I am sure they would wish me, for the purpose of the record, to make good that omission so that it should go into the record of the House what was their commitment. That I propose to do. I have it here, this document — I suppose they will remember that one — and I shall read it. It is headed "Fianna Fáil, The Republican Party", dated 4 February 1982. "Text of the Fianna Fáil Policy Statement Regarding Clondalkin Paper Mills, Issued by Fianna Fáil Press Office:
Fianna Fáil condemns the inaction of the Coalition Government in regard to Clondalkin Paper Mills.
Fianna Fáil is committed to re-opening the mills and pledges that, when elected to government, it will, as a matter of urgency, take the necessary steps to ensure the resumption of production at the mills.
Obviously this document was meant to be taken seriously because not alone did it have the names typed in but the signatures are there alongside them as well. I will read out the signatures: first, Mary Harney, TD; second, Liam Lawlor, MCC; third — and here is an interesting one — Brian Lenihan, TD, whom we heard with great force here last evening, Deputy Leader of the Fianna Fáil Party; fourth, Seán Walsh, TD; fifth, Eileen Lemass, TD; and finally Richard Conroy. The pre-condition in that document, that "when elected to government", duly took place and they were elected to government in February 1982, a short period afterwards. They remained in Government in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. What was their pledge in that document when elected to government, as a matter of urgency to have resumption of production at the mill? Some urgency, some resumption of production.
Deputy Lenihan last evening, with gay abandon, adopted and took aboard the idea of nationalisation, as is contained in Deputy Mac Giolla's amendment. Where was his nationalisation Bill when he was in government for nine months? Did that ever see the light of day? Could it be that his Nationalisation of Clondalkin Paper Mills Bill of 1982 was held up in the nitty-gritty minutiae of the Committee Stage? Or had it perhaps been held up on lengthy debates on Second Stage? Was it ever published on First Stage? Nothing, nothing at all; it never saw the light of day. Where was the nationalisation Bill so much advocated here last evening by Deputy Lenihan when he had nine months to do it? Where was that during his nine months? Was that Bill rushed through the Dáil in one day, in a week, in a month, in three months or in six months? And his supporters in that Coalition, The Workers' Party — who have shown themselves in recent times adept at Private Members' Bills — did they produce the Private Members' Nationalisation Bill of Clondalkin? Not at all. They were confined to supporting motions of confidence in Deputy Haughey as Taoiseach, in mid-term, notwithstanding his blatant default in carrying out his written and signed commitment of February 1982.
The action committee were very unhappy about this situation as the months rolled on and nothing was happening. They sought a meeting with the then Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey. That meeting took place up there in Room No. 114 on 24 June 1982, more or less mid-term, with representatives of the action committee, of ICTU, local TDs, including myself. The action committee presented to the then Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey, this document headed "Some Facts for Presentation to An Taoiseach". I will read some of them:
Paragraph (1): Political Commitments:
(A) Pre-election pledge signed by Lenihan, Lawlor, Harney, Walsh etc.
That is the way it is put.
(B) Taoiseach's commitment in "Gregory package."
Remember the Gregory package which included the Fianna Fáil commitment to re-open the Clondalkin Paper Mills. That is one commitment of many not adopted or implemented by them in nine months in office.
(C) Verbal and written assurances by Minister Albert Reynolds to TDs, ICTU and Action Committee;
(D) Taoiseach's verbal assurances during Dublin West by-election.
There was much play here last evening about Deputy Skelly's assurances at the Dublin West by-election. But nobody mentioned Deputy Haughey's verbal assurances during the Dublin West by-election.
