asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the uses to which the State intends to put the Royal Hospital building in Dublin.
7.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.
6.
asked the Taoiseach the plans the Government have for the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
An Inter-Departmental Committee chaired by me is at present finalising its report for the Government on possible uses of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. It is hoped to present that report to the Government very soon and to decide on the allocation of the accommodation in the Royal Hospital.
Before a decision is made about the future use of the Royal Hospital, will there be a discussion in this House?
We invited submissions and received them from many outside bodies and individuals but I would very much welcome the views of Members of the House and I would like them to see the building. I will be delighted to show it to them. That is one of my privileges. However, it comes within the aegis of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance. I am sure he would be delighted to bring the Deputies on a conducted tour. The Deputies would be pleased to see the work which has gone on there.
How much money has been spent on renovating the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham?
I could not give that.
If the Minister is not in a position to answer that question, why did he take these questions which are within the remit of the Minister for Finance?
These specifically deal with the future use of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, and at the request of the Taoiseach I chaired an inter-departmental committee which was to make suggestions in this regard.
Who is responsible over there?
These questions are for me to answer. As far as the actual cost is concerned, the responsibility definitely lies with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Surely the Minister is in a position to inform this House how much money has been spent on this renovation?
I know how much money has been spent, but it would be inappropriate for me to intrude in these matters.
The House is entitled to find out if this committee chairman knows what he is doing.
Is the Minister of State aware that one of the main purposes of the restoration of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, in the short term was to house Irish Presidents of the EEC this year?
A Deputy
That is right.
I do not know if that question is designed to elicit the proposed use for Kilmainham, but it would be inappropriate for me, in advance of the placing of it before the Cabinet, to give the decision come to by my committee.
Is this another example of the Government being hasty and clumsy?
The information given by Deputy Haughey is correct in regard to the decision involving the renovation of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. Is what Deputy Haughey has said not true — that the decision to renovate was for the express purpose of providing a centre for EEC ministerial and other conference meetings in Dublin?
A decision was made not to go ahead with that matter. Providing a conference centre for the EEC would involve a large expenditure of extra money and it was decided not to proceed with it as far as the essential requirements for the conference centre are involved. However, I am not in any way attempting to suggest what is in our report. Naturally, that whole area had to be taken into consideration by the committee which I chaired. We took cognisance of that and reported on it to the Government. We must have accommodation as far as the EEC is concerned and we dealt with that matter in our report.
A final supplementary, please.
Why, if no decision has yet been made in this matter, has the Minister of State at the Department of Finance already announced the expenditure of £17 million on the restoration of Dublin Castle as a centre for EEC meetings?
I am not able to follow the Deputy into all those areas which are the responsibility of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Is the Minister aware that the Minister of State has made this announcement? It received much publicity two to three weeks ago.
He is an unofficial handler. That is his only trade.
That is outside my particular aegis.
I understood the Minister to say at the outset that he was chairman of a special committee established by the Government to look into all these matters. He does not seem to be very well informed on any of them.
With due respect, I am very well informed on these matters but I am not in a position to give the information required because I do not wish to infringe on the area of another Department. That is the standard practice.
Is there a row between the Taoiseach's Department and the Department of Finance?
One hand does not know what the other hand is doing.
I am moving to the next question, Question No. 8.