Dick Spring
Ceist:18 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the position in relation to the funding of the STAD case against BNFL; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12977/99]
Other Questions. - Case Against BNFL.
The County Louth residents, who are taking a case against BNFL, accepted the terms of a Government offer of financial assistance towards the cost of research activities in relation to their case. A total of £76,000 has been paid to date under that arrangement. Further invoices have recently been received from the residents' solicitor. These invoices are currently being examined in my Department to ensure that the terms of the agreement are being complied with.
The Government approved a further package of assistance in December 1997, relating to defined areas of work by the residents' legal team, arising from their research activities. Details of this offer were outlined in my letter to the residents' solicitor dated 12 December 1997. The residents have recently requested a meeting to discuss the offer and appropriate contact will be made as soon as possible.
To set the record straight, I was not in the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications in September 1994, I was in the Department of the Environment.
Deputy, if you have a question for the Minister relating to Question No. 18, please put it.
I am correcting the record of the House, you should assist me in this.
I accept the correction.
It is not appropriate at this point.
It is in order.
It does not arise under this question.
I thank the Minister for accepting that, and thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for nothing. Does the Minister of State know when the case might come to fruition? Will the research go on forever? I congratulate him on providing this level of funding and for keeping a lid on the issue. Does he share my worry that we will be funding research indefinitely and how long does he think it will be before BNFL will be in court, on foot of the money he has provided?
Deputy Stagg has been involved in this issue and he will know that carrying out research is a matter for the residents and their legal advisers. As to developments in the case, no date has yet been set for the substantive hearing. The residents' solicitor indicated he received a second notice of particulars from BNFL. The first notice was issued by the company in June 1998. The residents lost a motion in relation to this first notice because of their delay in replying. That is the position to the best of my knowledge.
Does the Minister accept that Fianna Fáil's pre-election promise of full funding is now amended? Is that not a fair impression, since the promise of funding has been qualified to funding for research? Is he meeting the STAD group on a regular basis or does he wish or plan to meet the group and its solicitor more frequently? Does he accept that BNFL is under pressure to operate the THORP plant above and beyond its design capacity, given the long stoppages experienced as a result of faults being detected?
Was the Deputy asking whether funding had been ended?
No. The promise before the election was that there would be full funding.
Deputy Dermot Ahern made a promise, does the Minister not remember it?
Let the Minister reply without interruption.
To state the position accurately, a sum of £400,000 was approved by Government to be paid to the County Louth residents to further their case. To date, some £76,000 has been paid against invoices submitted. Further invoices totalling more than £50,000, I think, are being examined at present. Subject to the usual proprieties those invoices are set to be certified and put forward for payment. That is ongoing and the money is in place.
I have met the residents and their solicitor on a number of occasions but I have not met them for some time. Their solicitor has recently requested a meeting and that request will be responded to positively. We are prepared to meet them at any time to tease out matters or to assist in this matter.
Deputy Stagg rose.
The six minutes for this question have elapsed.
I was not aware that six minutes applied to all questions.
The limit applies to all Members, including Ministers.