Deputy Hyland has six minutes.
Adjournment Debate. - Portlaoise Telecommunications Services.
I have no desire to make the House burn the midnight oil; neither have I any wish for any hassle with the Minister on this matter. I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise, on the Adjournment, the question of Portlaoise as one of the centres for major telecommunication development, as agreed and put into operation by the previous Government. I regret having to raise the matter in this way, but the evasiveness of the Minister in replying to my question in the House on 28 October leaves me with no other choice. On that occasion I asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs for all the developments planned and accepted by his Department for the development of telecommunication services at Portlaoise, County Laois, and the timescale for the proposals. The Minister replied that the main developments proposed are new buildings for exchanging for staff headquarters, the provision of additional exchanges in some circuits, the strengthening of the local cabling network, other developments and projects and that all of these projects will be completed in 1983-84.
In that reply, the Minister was outlining and confirming the implementation of his predecessor in Government, Deputy Reynolds, in relation to the development of Portlaoise as a major centre for telecommunication development. All the developments referred to by the Minister were under way when the present Government came into power and the present Minister came into office. The Minister's reply is worthy of note, not for what he said but for what he did not say. Supplementary questions from Deputy Reynolds, Deputy Killilea and myself failed to get an honest and straightforward reply to the question of the proposed new training school, which was an essential part of the new project in Portlaoise.
I want to bring to the Minister's notice a statement made by the then Minister, Deputy Reynolds, when announcing the new development complex for Portlaoise. This statement was made on Friday, 6 March 1980 and I will quote a small extract from it:
A repair and maintenance garage for the Department's motor vehicles in the Portlaoise area is also planned for this site. Both of these projects are scheduled for completion during 1982-83.
The Minister tried to imply in the House on the last occasion that no decision was made by the previous Government in relation to a training school for Portlaoise. Is the Minister questioning the credibility of the anouncement made by Deputy Reynolds on this project? If he is, he is, in fact, questioning the credibility of his own civil servants who prepared that aspect of the Minister's speech. Whatever the contents of the letter and whatever the contents of the Minister's reply, I assure him tonight that the people of Portlaoise, and of Laois in general, are disturbed by rumours emanating, presumably, from the Minister's Department, that this project is to be abandoned. It was an essential part of the proposed telecommunication development for Portlaoise, an essential part of the last Government's programme to provide employment in Portlaoise, an area which is in urgent need of development and employment. I trust that the Minister will confirm tonight that this project will go ahead. If a decision to abandon this project has been made, it is regrettable. I ask the Minister again if he is going ahead with the decision to provide the telecommunication training school at Portlaoise?
On a point of order, owing to the rules of the house, I regret that I cannot speak on the motion but wish to support Deputy Hyland on this very important matter.
The provision of a permanent training school at Portlaoise has not been abandoned, but more detailed consideration must be given before a final decision can be taken. Portlaoise will not be discriminated against but will receive the same, if not more, considered attention than that received from the previous administration. I want to put that on the record.
Arising out of the Deputy's remarks, on 21 October last Deputy Hyland had a question for oral answer. He elected to take a written reply. This was on the matter of the training school in Portlaoise. Between 21 October and last week he had ample time to ask a question arising out of the reply received on 21 October but failed to do so. He showed no interest whatsoever in the training school between 21 October and now.
Nonsense, absolute nonsense.
I did not interrupt the Deputy.
It was the Minister who failed.
If the Deputy wants me to reply, I will reply. If he keeps interrupting, I will not continue.
Last week, when the Deputy asked his question he asked about developments planned and accepted by the Department. He got an answer about a programme planned and accepted by the Department. The school has not yet been accepted by the Department.
Has not been what? Why did the Minister take it off the list?
It has not been accepted and never was.
Why did the Minister take it off the list?
Would Deputy Reynolds have a little manners and allow me to answer Deputy Hyland's question?
The Minister is not prepared to answer.
I have four minutes in which to answer. Deputy Hyland wrote to my predecessor——
(Interruptions.)
It was programmed but Deputy Reynolds, before the election, took a decision to have a training school in Athlone added in. That is what caused the trouble, not any decision by this Government. Deputy Hyland wrote to my predecessor about Abbeyleix, Portlaoise, about aerial exchange and reports——
The Minister should read the records for 1980 in his Department.
That was the cause of the trouble and not the decision by this Government. Deputy Hyland wrote to my predecessor about the Abbeyleix-Portlaoise cable, about aerial exchange, about the Portlaoise-Carlow co-axial cable, about the radio link between Limerick and Portlaoise, about the digital exchange, about the operating centre, about officer employment, but did he not mention the school.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy did not mention the school. The Deputy has shown no interest whatever in the school. If the Deputy would read the debate he will find in it all the information. There is no change and £6.5 million is down for Portlaoise and it will be spent by this Government in Portlaoise.
(Interruptions.)
The Dáil adjourned at 11 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 December 1981.