asked the Minister for Finance when work will commence on the proposed new customs clearance depot in Monaghan.

This customs road station will be used by very heavy container traffic and special site works have had to be designed to cope with these conditions.

Tenders will be invited this month and all going well work on site should be commenced about June next.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in reply to a question on 7th March last year the answer then was that sketch plans had been prepared for the new station, that it was expected that tenders would be invited within the next couple of months and that, all going well, the building should be completed in about a year's time? Do we take it that everything did not go well?

No. I answered the question there. They had to fortify the road, as it would be used by very heavy container traffic. That is the explanation of the delay.

Was that not so last year?

They may not have discovered it last year. Owing to the low nature of the ground a considerable amount of filling-in work was necessary. That is probably the reason for the delay.

Would that site not have been the same prior to last year?

This is leading to argument.

It may have looked the same but when they went to work on the ground it was not the same. Appearances are very deceptive.

Somebody was deceived in this case.

Probably the engineers.