asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if a State-sponsored company (name supplied) under the aegis of his Department have rented an entire floor in a new office premises at Ballsbridge, Dublin; the terms of the lease; and the lease rent for a year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Renting of Premises by State Company.
35.
The answer to the first part of the question is "Yes".
The lease is for a period of 35 years with a right to sub-let but the lessee has the option of terminating it at the end of the 21st year. The lessee is responsible for rates, interior decoration and general internal maintenance.
It is not the practice to disclose the amount of the annual rent payable in respect of individual properties as this is a confidential matter as between landlord and tenant, the disclosure of which would not be in the public interest.
Are we now again in the position in which a Government-sponsored company takes an extremely expensive office space in Ballsbridge, at, as rumour has it in this town, a rent well in excess of £10,000 a year, and the Minister will not inform the House of the position in relation to that letting? It has been suggested in this town that a series of Nissen huts looking out over Clew Bay would be a better place for office premises as being nearer their work.
The Deputy knows ful well that there is a principle involved here, that these rents are not disclosed. This has been the practice in the House always. In fact, this was a very good deal by this State-sponsored company. They disposed of a property they owned at a very good price and moved into what are comparatively economic premises from their point of view.
Are the Government now going to shelter behind practice, precedent and principle and give the Opposition no information in relation to expenditure at a time when they cannot find a shilling for the old age pensioner?
There is no sheltering at all.
And when they have not even the right of ownership.
This type of information has never been disclosed in this House and there is a very good reason why it should not be disclosed. In any event, this is a State-sponsored company, and the whole idea of establishing these semi-State companies, is that they will have comparative freedom.
Yet the Minister will give us the amount of loan An Foras Tionscal will give certain people but when it comes to certain other companies, he shelters behind precedent and practice. Why should we not know what An Bord Iascaigh Mhara is paying in rent?
It is a confidential matter.