asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if a delegation visited the Middle East recently in an attempt to secure oil supplies for Ireland and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I confirm that such a visit did take place. For reasons which I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, I would not deem it desirable to make a detailed statement about the countries visited or the results achieved. The main purpose of the delegation was to establish initial contacts with the relevant people in the ministries and other organisations concerned with petroleum production and sales. It is the intention that these contacts will be followed up by our own national oil company which has just now come into being. The delegation was received in a friendly manner and I am satisfied that this was a satisfactory beginning in our dealings with the oil producers concerned.

It was reported in one magazine that the delegation did not go at all. Was that incorrect?

It was incorrect.

Who were the people who formed the delegation?

The secretary of my Department and the Irish ambassador who is based in Jeddah but is attached to a number of countries in the Middle East.

Will the Minister disclose the number of countries visited?

I am not prepared to give the names of the countries. They went to more than one country.

Since the Irish ambassador is based in Jeddah one can assume that Saudi Arabia was the main country they visited.

The Deputy can make any assumptions he likes.

The Deputy is prospecting.