asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether tenders were submitted in September, 1947, to Irish Shipping, Limited, by the Liffey Dockyard, Limited, for the construction of two 4,000 ton ships; if so, will he state if such tenders were competitive as compared with other tenders received; and, finally, will he state why the building of such ships was deferred and the date on which such decision was made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Liffey Dockyard, Limited.
Tenders were submitted by the Liffey Dockyard, Limited, for the construction of these vessels. The question of proceeding with the building of additional tonnage, including vessels of the 4,000 ton class, is still under consideration.
I do not consider it desirable to give the other details for which the Deputy has asked for the reasons stated in my reply to his similar question on 23rd March.
In view of the fact that in the report of Irish Shipping, Limited, it was indicated that their losses last year largely arose out of the fact that they were using out-of-date ships and that they have a very substantial reserve in their Ship Replacement Fund, does the Minister not consider that new tonnage should be built and that it should be built in this country, if possible?
As I indicated in my reply, that matter is under consideration at the moment.
It is now 14 months.