asked the Minister for Finance whether Messrs. Moore and Co., Shirt and Collar Manufacturers, to whom it was proposed, under the State Lands Act, 1924, to lease portion of the Buncrana Naval Barracks, and who went into possession of the premises on 1st January last, have now been ordered to vacate the premises; whether any payment of rent in advance was paid by Messrs. Moore and Co., and, if so, what amount; further, whether it is proposed to proceed with the proposed letting; and, if not, if he will state the reason.
Private Notice Question. - Letting of Buncrana Naval Barracks.
Messrs. Moore and Co. proposed to take a five years' lease of a portion of the Buncrana Naval Barracks, subject to Government requirements. Such lettings are subject to the sanction of the Minister for Finance and the Oireachtas, as required by the State Lands Act, 1924, and pending submission of the proposal to the Minister for Finance and the Oireachtas for such sanctions Messrs. Moore were anxious to go into occupation. They were warned that they could do this only at their own risk of being called upon to vacate should the statutory sanctions for any reason not be forthcoming. As they were prepared to take this risk, and to pay £22 10s. 0d. for use and occupation, they were allowed in on the 2nd January, 1929.
The Minister is not satisfied that it would be in the public interest to make such letting without inviting competitive tenders to take the premises in question on lease for a term of years. Competitive offers will shortly be invited by public advertisement, and meanwhile Messrs. Moore are being informed that the letting to them cannot be proceeded with and they have been called upon to vacate the premises.
Is the Minister aware that this matter of the letting to Messrs. Moore & Co. has been proceeding since October, 1927? Further, is he aware of the fact that the Board of Works informed Messrs. Moore & Co. that they had applied for the statutory sanction? Is the Minister also aware of the fact that not until Wednesday last did Messrs. Moore & Co. receive any notification from the Ministry to the effect that the letting would not be proceeded with, when it was almost impossible for Messrs. Moore & Co. to take any steps to have themselves safeguarded? Is he aware that Messrs. Moore & Co. went to very great expense to have the premises put in proper repair and to have machines installed in order to employ in or about thirty girls, not alone in the manufacture of shirts and collars, but in the manufacture of pyjamas, boiler suits and dungarees, thus establishing practically the only industry of the kind in the Free State? Messrs. Moore & Co. went to the expense of having all that done, and now at, I will not call it the eleventh hour, but the thirteenth hour, practically speaking, the Minister suddenly discovers that he should have done certain things that he did not do in regard to the letting of this place. I would like the Minister to indicate whether he discovered on his own initiative that he should have advertised the place for letting, or whether somebody else suggested it to him.
It is quite usual where a place has been vacant for a considerable period to let it without inviting competitive tenders. The view taken in such cases is that anybody who might have cared to make an offer for it could have known there was a possibility of it being let. These premises were not in that situation. Nobody could have been expected to know that they were available for letting. It was brought to my notice that certain other people alleged that they desired the premises, had been waiting until they were vacated to make an offer, and would have made a higher offer than Messrs. Moore & Co. In these circumstances I felt it would not be correct to proceed with the letting without advertising for competitive tenders.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise this matter on the adjournment this afternoon.