asked the Minister for Transport the loss to the Exchequer from the agreement between CIE and Van Hool on bus-building at Inchicore, Dublin; and if further costs are expected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bus-building Agreement.
8.
The general content of CIE's contract and other financial arrangements with Van Hool McArdle Ltd., is a matter within the day to day responsibility of the board as provided for by the Transport Acts. I understand from CIE that some litigation remains unresolved in this case and that it is therefore not possible at this stage to determine the financial outcome.
CIE in the course of discharging their functions engage in large numbers of commercial transactions and a loss or gain in any such case would not in any event be specifically identified in Exchequer terms.
Will the Minister give us some information about the litigation he refers to?
Under the Acts it is a matter for the board and it would be improper for me to give details of matters that are sub judice.
If the matter is in the court or elsewhere we cannot discuss it.
Is it true that CIE are being used by the Van Hool company for a sum in the region of £2 million or £2½ million?
If that is a matter in the courts we are not going to——
We have only seen newspaper reports. I want to know if it is true or not.
It would not be proper for me to go into detail about matters that relate to day to day administration of the board of CIE.
I take it, therefore, that it is correct.
I would not like to go on record as saying yes or no to that.
Question No. 9.
On a point of order, is it correct for the Chair to say that a query relating to whether or not——
If a matter is before the courts we cannot debate it here either at Question Time or at any other time. That has been the ruling of the House down the years.
Deputy Deasy's question was simply to ascertain whether or not a legal action was going on.
That is fair enough.
That was the question that the Chair said was out of order.
I allowed that question and the Minister has answered it in his own way. That is the end of that matter. Question No. 9.