asked the Minister for Defence if he will state (a) the number of sales by public auction of Army property held in the Dublin district from 1st April, 1945, to date; (b) the date of each such sale; (c) the name of the auctioneer who carried out each such sale; (d) the manner in which the auctioneer at each such sale was appointed; (e) the terms of appointment of the auctioneer in respect of each such sale; and (f) the gross amount realised at each such sale.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Auction Sales of Army Property.
The number of sales of Army property by public auction in the Dublin district from the 1st April, 1945, was six. The auctions in question were as follows:—
|
Date |
Property |
Sale Price |
||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
||
|
(1) 11th April, 1945 |
67 Horses |
2,238 |
10 |
0 |
|
(2) 19th September, 1945 |
94 Motor Vehicles |
21,535 |
0 |
0 |
|
(3) 10th October, 1945 |
40 Horses and 52 horse-drawn Vehicles |
1,695 |
0 |
0 |
|
(4) 13th and 14th November, 1945 |
298 Motor Vehicles |
24,543 |
0 |
0 |
|
(5) 26th November, 1945 |
250 Pedal Cycles |
1,045 |
10 |
0 |
|
(6) 31st January, 1946 |
174 Motor Vehicles |
21,003 |
10 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
72,060 |
10 |
0 |
The six auctions were conducted by Messrs. Stokes and Quirke, 33 Kildare Street, Dublin. Separate quotations were invited for the conduct of each of the first three sales and the last three were carried out under a six months' contract.
It is not the practice to disclose details of quotations submitted to my Department. I am, therefore, not prepared to give the terms of the appointment of the auctioneer in each case.
In view of the fact that one of the members of this firm of auctioneers is a member of the Government Party, is the Minister prepared to state to the House that the terms offered by that firm were more advantageous to the Exchequer than the terms offered by any other tendering firm of auctioneers?
I am not prepared to discuss that question at all.
The Minister is not prepared to inform the House as to whether he accepted the lowest tender?
It is not the practice.
I am not asking for the terms of the tender. I am asking the Minister if he is prepared to assure the House that the tender made to him by the firm of auctioneers, of which one partner is a member of his own Party, was the lowest tender made to the Department.
As far as I am concerned, the quotations were examined by the experts of my Department. They put up recommendations to me which I might or might not approve of. In this particular case, I approved of them. I cannot say at the moment whether they were—I believe they were —the most advantageous, as I am prepared to assume that the Department will naturally put up the most advantageous quotation.
Not necessarily the lowest?
Not necessarily the lowest.