asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will state if an officer from his Department has visited Beauparc, Co. Meath, to ascertain whether it is possible to reopen the Beauparc Copper Mines and work the copper deposits in the district, and if he will state the nature of that officer's report, if any.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - BEAUPARC COPPER MINES.
Officers of my Department inspected these mines in the autumn last year. They reported that as the underground workings were flooded no proper examination could be made. On the question whether the considerable cost of pumping out of the water would be justified in view of the previous history of the mines, they reported that the decision to close the mines was taken after examination by independent experts and that there did not appear to have been such a change of circumstances since as would lead to the expectation that reopening would prove an economic proposition.