Arising out of what the Minister said today and what he is reported as having said last week, that the task force and the transportation authority may have the power to reintroduce the eastern by-pass, would he clarify whether he was reported accurately and whether he proposes that this transport authority would have the power to make road proposals?

I did not see the report referred to by the Deputy. I would prefer not to comment as to its accuracy until I have read it. At this stage the legislation and the proposals on the transportation authority have yet to be put together and it is a bit early to make decisions like that or to comment on future decisions.

Has the Minister someone in his Department, as most Ministers have in their Departments, to review the newspaper each day to see what the Minister is reported as saying about anything which concerns his Department?

I would prefer to have the exact wording of the Deputy's reference before me before commenting on it.

I will get it for the Minister, but it should have been got for him by his own staff.

I did not specify the eastern by-pass. I did not specify any roads whatsoever. If it was an interpretation of what I said by a journalist, I would prefer to have the report before me before commenting on it.