asked the Minister for Energy if he will give full details of all pension rights and severence pay that have been put in place over the last three years in respect of retiring or resigning directors and management personnel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Executive Retirement/Pension Payments.
27.
I am informed by BGE that the nature of this question is such that if it were to be answered comprehensively a considerable expenditure of time and money by the receiver would be required. This would add to the costs of the receivership. The Deputy will be aware that since his question was put down I have made publicly available certain information on these matters and perhaps his requirements have now been satisfied. If not, I am quite prepared to endeavour to answer realistic follow-up questions which do not involve a cost disproportionate to the results achieved and which can rightly be regarded as relating to matters of public concern. Perhaps the Deputy would reconsider his question in the light of this information. I think it only right to say that as at present worded the question would pose great difficulties in this regard.
I am amazed, as everybody will be, at the Minister's reply. Is he aware of the grave public concern about matters in the public arena? He comes in here with a lame duck excuse. While hundreds of millions have been squandered, he is not prepared to spend the few pounds required to give the public the information they deserve. Is he not prepared to do that?
I think I am as aware as Deputy Reynolds of all public concern in matters of public importance. I would share any concern the Deputy would have in his part of the country and I am aware of the concern of the public in relation to the Dublin Gas issue. The information available to me has been made available publicly during the past couple of days.
Selectively.
The Deputy might want to clarify whether that information is adequate for his purposes in relation to this question. I assume that his question is asked in the public interest. Perhaps he could give me details of any further information he requires. I would also point out that it has been the policy undertaken by all Governments since the foundation of the State not to pursue the answer to a question where the cost of discovering the reply is disproportionate to the public's interest in the matter.
That does not apply in this case.
I have to protest in the name of the general public at the incredible attempt to side-step an issue of grave public concern. If the Minister is interested in the public concern which exists, will he consider giving Government time for a full flush out of all the bad smells coming from that place? How can any Government with any credibility walk out into the public arena having put together a deal costing the taxpayer £600,000 and not be prepared to come into this House and give details about when it was done? If the Minister will not accept an invitation to debate this question in this House, I give notice that I will call for a public sworn inquiry into the affairs of Dublin Gas so that the public will learn the truth about what is happening behind closed doors. The Minister is prepared to cover it up. It is inexcusable for a Minister who has responsibility for Dublin Gas to say that he could not give the information. I am serving notice on this House that I will call for a full sworn inquiry into this matter.
I have no difficulty with any request from a former Minister for Energy. I regard that as a very brave statement by a man who initialled the original Dublin Gas agreement the morning his Government were going out of office in November 1982.
The man is so brave that he is calling for a full inquiry in this House or a public sworn inquiry. I am not attached to any of the crooked deals that have been done.
(Interruptions.)