asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he will indicate when a smelter will be constructed in this country.

28.

asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he will make a statement on the question of the construction of a smelter to process ore from mines in Ireland.

With the permission, of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together.

A detailed smelter project study by the New Jersy Zinc Company and the IDA is being finalised at present. Following receipt of a report on the study, and after full and careful consideration in my Department, I hope to be in a position to make firm decisions regarding the construction of the smelter.

Is the Minister in a position to give any indication of what the outside timetable of that will be and what participation, if any, the State will have in the equity holding of the smelter company?

I hope that we will receive the report on the study by the end of this month. Obviously it will take some time to consider it in full, probably a few months. So far as the equity participation of the State is concerned, as I understand the position there is no agreement which is binding on me that the State will have any particular percentage. When the study is available and fully digested, the question of what percentage the State should hold by way of equity will be gone into fully.

Does the Minister feel the State should have a percentage?

I do, certainly.

Is this study internal to the Department or will it be available to the public?

I am not aware whether any commitments were made about its publication. In the normal way I would be willing to have it published. I am not aware whether any commitments were given with regard to its publication or nonpublication. I would expect that, in the normal way, it would be published.

It will be published?

I think so unless some commitment was given before my time which would create some difficulty in that respect. I do not believe there was.

In his capacity as Minister for Energy could the Minister say whether adequate electricity generation facilities exist at the moment to serve the needs of a smelter?

Of course, that is an entirely separate question. However, I would hazard a guess—and it can be no more than a guess—that within the notice period available to them the ESB would be able to make sufficient generating capacity available to service the smelter. They would have about a four-year period of notice which I would hope would be adequate.

Provided the Minister does not take the natural gas away from them.

That does not arise.

Assuming there is no restriction on the publication of the report, is the Minister in a position to assure the House that he will have it published?

So far as I am concerned, I will certainly published it.

The Minister expects it with a month?

I am told by the IDA they expect to finalise it about the end of this month.

We can expect it to be published within four or five weeks from now?

That depends. We will have to study it first.