asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if the new engineering headquarters for his Department in Tralee, County Kerry will open on schedule.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tralee New Engineering Headquarters.
10.
The answer is no. The headquarters was scheduled for completion at the end of August 1981 but the latest estimate from the Office of Public Works is that it will be completed before Christmas.
11.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if there are any changes in the proposal to make Tralee a district headquarters for County Kerry and a sub-district of the Limerick area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I assume that what the Deputy has in mind is the organisation of engineering work in the Tralee and County Kerry areas. No change in the existing organisation of that work on the lines mentioned was or is planned.
Will the Minister state if there is any change in the programme to have Tralee made a sub-district?
There was never such a proposal and there is none now under consideration. The new semi-State organisation is expected to take over operation of the telecommunications service next year. The Department do not propose to make any change in the position regarding Tralee.
I wish to inform the Minister of State that in the previous Government a decision was made to have Tralee made a sub-district. I ask him to reconsider the matter.
I can assure the Deputy that if I get evidence of that I will have the matter considered. I know there was some correspondence between the former Minister of State and the Deputy but there is no record in the Department that a decision was taken.
The Minister of State has made another wild allegation. There was no correspondence between Deputy McEllistrim and myself. I made an announcement at a post-masters' conference suggesting it would be a good idea to have a sub-district for Kerry alone within the Limerick district. I do not understand what the Minister of State is talking about today.
I have no dispute with what Deputy Killilea has said. I am stating again that there was no decision.
The Minister said there was correspondence between Deputy McEllistrim and myself.
Yes.
The Minister of State should produce the evidence.
Will the Minister of State agree that highly paid engineering and planning staff have to travel from Limerick to Kerry to do planning work and that it would be a more sensible approach to set up a sub-district in Tralee? The Minister would get better value for money.
What I am prepared to accept in the House may not be what I agree with privately. I refer the Deputy to my earlier invitation and suggest that this is in line with what we have been talking about. When Deputy Reynolds comes to my office we will discuss this as well.
Surely it is as well to put it on the record?
I am in favour of decentralisation, as I have already said.
Why not do something about it, then?