asked the Minister for Agriculture the amount of money that will be allocated to CSET this year, giving a breakdown of where the money will be spent.
4.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teo.
3.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the amount of money allocated for Tuam sugar factory in 1984; if he will give details of any modernisation that will be undertaken in the factory in the coming year; the number of staff to be employed permanently in the factory in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
5.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement on the proposed level of redundancies at Tuam sugar factory, County Galway.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teoranta are not in receipt of a direct Exchequer allocation. The other information requested relates to the detailed operations of the company which are a matter for the company itself.
Could the Minister tell us what money will be allocated to Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann this year and if there will be an investment in the Tuam sugar factory?
I cannot tell the House anything about the internal workings of the Sugar Company. That is a matter for the company and is recognised procedure in this House. The Sugar Manufacture (Amendment) Act, 1982, provided for an increase from £10 million to £75 million in the authorised share capital of the company. Of the extra £65 million, some £50 million has been taken up, including £20 million which was allocated on 21 December 1983.
Is the Minister aware that the chairman of CSET said in his report that it would be necessary to take appropriate steps to achieve substantial savings in the cost of operating the Tuam factory? Can the Minister say how this will be done in 1984?
No, these are matters for the Sugar Company and I do not dictate methods to them.
But the Minister must accept what the chairman of the Sugar Company said——
I am not going to comment one way or the other.
Would the Minister agree that what has become established practice in the House, and which suited the circumstances of many semi-State bodies when they were making a profit, no longer obtains and that when there is a call on the resources of this House that internal information about investment by these companies should be available to the House and the taxpayer?
That seems to be a general question on policy.
That facility is freely available through the Joint Committee on State-Sponsored Bodies. I was a member of that committee some years ago and we inquired into the affairs of the Sugar Company. That avenue is still open to Deputies and Senators.
That is not really the point.
That committee reports to the House.
But not on a yearly audit basis.
Would the Minister agree that he considered a report which was presented to him by the Department of Agriculture and CSET about the Tuam sugar factory? Would he further agree that he was a member of the Cabinet when they made the decision to keep Tuam sugar factory open? Could he tell the House whether the Cabinet made any recommendation about financing for the Tuam sugar factory in 1984 or future years?
The Cabinet did not make any specific recommendations in relation to financing for individual sugar factories. We authorised the share capital to be increased by £20 million last December.
The Minister said that the Government decided that sugar processing would be continued in Tuam and we all welcome that. However, in view of what the chairman of CSET said concerning savings, would the Minister tell us what effect that will have on the level of the work force in Tuam?
No, that is a matter for the board of the Sugar Company.
We must move on. The question has been answered.
(Limerick West): In view of the proposed level of redundancies at Tuam sugar factory, has the Minister discussed with the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism ways to replace jobs lost?
That is a matter for the Industrial Development Authority. I have often expressed the view that it would be of considerable help if we got an additional factory in Tuam. However, the scale of redundancies is purely a matter for the board of the Sugar Company.
Can the Minister give any information——
You cannot ask the same question ten times over or even more than once.
Is there any financial commitment either from the Government or CSET for Tuam sugar factory in 1984 and future years? What is the exact position?
We have raised the share capital to £65 million. It is up to the Sugar Company to decide how that money should be spent.