asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has received the report of the Commission which held an inquiry at Buncrana, County Donegal, in March last, in connection with the taking over of Buncrana Pier by the local Urban Council; if he will state if there are any recommendations in the report in favour of carrying out the extension to the Pier in accordance with the plans which were approved in 1914, and if, in view of the importance of Buncrana as a fishing centre, the Government will hasten the carrying out of such recommendations.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - BUNCRANA PIER.
The report of the officials who conducted the local inquiry into the application by the Buncrana Urban District Council for a Provisional Order transferring to that body from the Donegal County Council the property and control of the harbour has been received. The Report recommends, under certain conditions, the carrying out of repairs and renewals of the harbour and some extension works provided the funds required can be obtained. The matter is at present under consideration, but no definite decision has yet been arrived at.
Is the Minister aware that in June last the Minister for Fisheries wrote the Buncrana Urban Council that £25,000 would be available provided that a suitable scheme could be devised but put in the practically impossible stipulation that the Urban Council should raise the sum of £10,000?
I think it was a very wise letter for that Department to write and the reason a decision cannot be arrived at at the moment is on account of the difficulty of ascertaining whether the scheme is suitable and who is going to provide money as the local people have more or less announced their intention of not providing any.
Has the Minister considered that the stipulation of raising £10,000 is an impossible one in view of the fact that the Council rates only amount to approximately £3,000 annually?
Yes, but the Council might have replied that they were prepared to give some smaller sum. The only attitude adopted so far has been that one witness stated on his own before the inquiry that he would be prepared to recommend that the rates should be burdened with a certain impost to provide some money but he was almost repudiated by other witnesses.