There are only 15 minutes left and we will have to apportion it between Deputy Mannion and whoever replies. Ten minutes and five minutes. I had thought that we would not have the debate, and that is why I was not going on with it.
Adjournment Debate. - Helicopter Licences.
In seeking to raise this matter on the adjournment I wished to set the record straight, as I could not accept the reply given by the Minister last Thursday to my Question. The Minister stated last Thursday that the helicopter licence applied for in December 1977 was refused for the same reason that the previous application was refused by the last Government in May 1977. Prior to the refusal in May 1977 I introduced a deputation from Gael West Helicopters Limited to the then Minister, Deputy Fitzpatrick, in connection with the application, and while he could see their point of view he was emphatic that there was no way on the evidence available to him that he could grant it. After explaining this, our views were similar. As a result of this refusal, of which the Fianna Fáil party were aware, Gael West Helicopters had discussions with Deputy Barrett then spokesman for Transport and Power, and Deputy Gallagher, then shadow Minister for Fisheries, with a view to ascertaining Fianna Fáil policy on the granting of helicopter licences. As a result of this meeting with the two spokesmen, Gael West Helicopters received a letter dated 3 June 1977 from Dáil Éireann. The following are the contents of the letter;
Dear Sir,
I would like to refer to the recent deputation from your company which was received at Leinster House by my colleague Mr. Sylvester Barrett, Shadow Minister for Transport and Power, and myself. We discussed your application for a helicopter licence in order to enable your company inter alia to provide a service relating to the development of the Porcupine Bank.
As we informed you, we were sympathetic to your case but would need clearance from our Front Bench on the policy aspects of the matter. I am now very pleased to inform you that Fianna Fáil in Government will grant you a helicopter licence forthwith.
In taking this decision, we are conscious of the following benefits arising from the granting of the Helicopter licence:—
(i) the development of an air charter service with very real benefits to tourism by facilitating tours from centres in the U.K. for holidays or week-end trips.
(ii) the development of scheduled air service Castlebar/Dublin and Castlebar/Shannon.
(iii) the provision of training for Irish personnel as pilots and engineers at the school of Aviation in Rotterdam, in accordance with undertakings given by your Associate Company Schreiher Airways Limited.
Above all, the granting of the helicopter licence will be a further significant step in helping the people of Mayo and the West generally to help themselves, by becoming involved in servicing the oil exploration operations and developing air services.
The letter is signed by Deputy Denis Gallagher. I believe that the spokesman wrote the letter in good faith, but that they were either misled by their own front bench or that there was a deliberate attempt by the Fianna Fáil party to woo votes in the West at a crucial time for them, as their Minister has now refused the application with no variation in the reasons given then. Will the Minister explain the reason why his party changed their policy on this issue? Did Fianna Fáil deliberately try to mislead Gael West, who if they were foolish enough to accept the contents of the letter could have invested a lot of money, because they could have gone ahead and purchased a helicopter? I only hope that the same fate does not await a lot of pre-election commitments from the Fianna Fáil party.
I would ask that the remainder of my time be given to Deputy Fitzpatrick, who was then Minister.
(Cavan-Monaghan): When I was Minister for Transport and Power I received an application from Gael West for a helicopter licence. I sought the advice of my Department and I was assured that the matter was considered in depth. My Department advised me that it would not be in the interests of the country to grant this licence because there was an Irish helicopter company giving the required services. My advice was that the granting of this licence would probably put the other company out of business and that we would end up with no proper helicopter service. I refused to grant the application and so informed the applicants. I then received a number of high-powered deputations both political and clerical asking me to reconsider my decision. I did not grant the licence because I thought that I as Minister for Transport and Power would be behaving irresponsibly if I granted that licence.
I learned subsequently that two front bench members of the Fianna Fáil Party, Deputy Sylvester Barrett, as he was then, the present Minister for the Environment, and Deputy Denis Gallagher, as he was then, the present Minister for the Gaeltacht, received a deputation and that they were to communicate with the company, Gael West Limited. I was shocked when I received a photostat copy of the letter just read out by Deputy Mannion to the effect that a deputation was received by Deputies Gallagher and Barrett, that they told the deputation that they would bring this matter before the front bench of the Fianna Fáil Party and communicate with them. That letter read out by Deputy Mannion is the result of the consideration of the deputation's request by the front bench of Fianna Fáil.
I regard that letter as a piece of political gimmickry, of dishonest electioneering. It would be bad enough if it ended there. It would be better if that letter was over the hand of a back bench Member of Fianna Fáil or even one spokesman. But here we have a letter, coming from the Fianna Fáil Party, saying that the matter had been considered by the front bench, presided over by Deputy Jack Lynch, the present Taoiseach— honest Jack Lynch—pledging in black and white on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party that when they were returned to power they would immediately grant this licence. That is a document that binds every member of the present Government and the Taoiseach, undertaking solemnly to grant this licence when they were returned to power and giving the reason for doing so. It is a shameful performance, a disgraceful performance. It is a performance of which the present Government should be thoroughly ashamed. Not alone is an explanation needed from the present Minister and the two Ministers who met the deputation from Gael West Limited but an explanation is needed from the Taoiseach because he is involved in this and he must accept responsibility for it.
Today here on the Road Transport Bill we had an example of Fianna Fáil putting down a reasonable amendment to the Bill, refusing to have anything to do with Deputy Peter Barry's Bill, and then introducing another Bill in the same terms when the election was over. This is an example of the depth to which the Fianna Fáil Party stooped in order to get back to power. It is an example of the dishonesty to which they have stooped in order to get back to power. It is an example of the bona fides of their manifesto. They can stuff that letter in their manifesto for posterity to see.
The people of this country voted in the general election on the basis of our manifesto.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
And the matter raised by the Deputy was not part of the manifesto. We put the manifesto to the people, we asked them to vote on the basis of that manifesto and we are carrying out what we duly pledged to do in that manifesto.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I am glad to get an opportunity this evening to set out in some detail my policy in relation to helicopter licensing. My prime concern, as Minister, is to ensure the safe and orderly development of Irish aviation. The responsibility is mine as Minister for Tourism and Transport. This demands, when considering air service authorisation applications, that close attention is paid to the specific needs and requirements of the aviation market. It is necessary, on the one hand, to ensure that the enormous investments of authorised companies are not needlessly and senselessly put at risk, with loss not only to the companies involved but to the country as a whole. The risk most clearly arises when the market is small, when there is keen competition by air companies for a level of business capable of supporting one operator only. At the same time it is necessary to make sure that the demands for air services——
(Interruptions.)
——are met with high quality, efficient service.
(Interruptions.)
——I have already stated on quite a number of occasions in this House that, as the Minister responsible, I am carrying out my duties in a responsible fashion. I have also pointed out to Deputies that the people of this country voted for this party on the basis of the manifesto.
(Interruptions.)
And that we are carrying out the promises made by us in the manifesto——
Deputies
Hear, hear.
And that it is because of the fact that the people recognised the value of this manifesto——
(Cavan-Monaghan): Where is the Minister for the Gaeltacht? What has he to say about the letter he wrote?
——that the people put us here and that they put Deputies over there where they are and where they will remain for a very long time to come.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
I have clearly indicated that until such time as I recognise a need for a further helicopter service we will continue to rely on the helicopter service available to us.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
I have pointed out that should I find that there is a need for a further helicopter service the matter will receive very careful consideration from me and that I will give careful consideration to the application of Gael West Limited and to other companies who may wish to apply.
A Deputy
They will never believe the Minister again.
I know Deputies opposite are very perturbed, that they have got to find some sort of excuse as to why they are sitting on that side of the House. But the basic reason for it is the one I have already given— that the people recognised the policy we put forward was the proper one for the country, the policy put forward in our manifesto.
(Interruptions.)
And that despite all the efforts made by the Opposition when in Government to gerrymander the constituencies——
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister never mentioned the letter.
(Interruptions.)
They failed completely to get back to Government.
Fine Gael Deputies
The Minister never mentioned the letter.
I have given Deputies opposite the reason; perhaps they want me to repeat it.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
I have given Deputies opposite the reason that we are here and they are over there.
(Interruptions.)
The Dáil adjourned at 9 p.m. until 10.30 a.m., Thursday, 20 April 1978.