asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development if he has seen the report in a Dublin suburban newspaper attributing certain comments to himself in relation to CIE's rapid rail and electrification proposals and if he would make a statement on the report indicating if he has been accurately quoted.

The report to which the Deputy refers consists of four sentences. The first of these states that the rapid rail plan is not the only option for the future of suburban rail services. That is correct. The second sentence, which quotes me as saying that the existing system could be modernised for less than a fifth of the cost of the rapid rail system, is also correct since the total cost of the rapid rail system is well in excess of £200 million, whereas the cost of modernising the existing suburban line from Howth to Bray would be £42 million or less, depending on which option is chosen. The third sentence states that I blamed CIE for the delay in making a decision. This is not accurate. When asked why the Government had not yet taken a decision on the rapid rail proposal I replied that the Government had not yet received this plan for examination.

The final sentence of the report, which states that CIE have sought sanction for electrification of the suburban rail as a first stage and that the Government had asked for details of the entire plan, is correct.

In the newspaper Southside it was very clearly attributed to the Minister that he held CIE responsible for the situation and the phrase “to blame” was included in the front page report.

I can only repeat my reply. The third sentence states that I blamed CIE for the delay in making a decision. This is not accurate. When asked why the Government had not yet taken a decision on the rapid rail proposal I replied that the Government had not yet received this plan for examination.

Accepting that the Minister does not hold CIE responsible——

I did not say whether they were responsible or not.