Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1935 > Select Committee on Mining Rights > Interim and Final Report - Demise of Certain Mining Rights

ORDERS OF REFERENCE.

25 June, 1935:—Ordered: That a Select Committee consisting of eleven Deputies, to be appointed by the Committee of Selection and with, power to send for persons, papers and documents, be established publicly to investigate and report to the Dáil on the following allegations made by Deputy P. McGilligan:—

That the demise of the State Mining rights in respect of certain lands in County Wicklow, made on 1st November, 1934, by way of take note or prospecting lease, to Senator Michael Comyn, K. C., and Deputy R. Briscoe by the Minister for Industry and Commerce was—

(a) made to Senator Comyn and Deputy Briscoe because they were political associates of the Minister,

(b) made under conditions of secrecy, and

(c) made at a time that the Minister was aware that another party or other parties were proposing to seek a demise of the same rights, on terms more advantageous to the State;

and that the action of the Minister in making such demise was improper;

and further, publicly to investigate and to report to the Dáil on all the facts and circumstances connected with and surrounding the application for and the grant of the said lease, and all the facts and circumstances connected with and surrounding the agreement made by the lessees for the assignment of their rights and obligations under the said lease. [Minister for Industry and Commerce.]

27 June, 1935:—Committee accordingly nominated consisting of Deputies J. Coburn, J. A. Costello, T. P. Dowdall, D. Fitzgerald, J. Fitzgerald-Kenney, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, J. Geoghegan, J. Good, S. Moore, W. Norton and O. Traynor.

9 July, 1935:—Ordered: That the quorum of the Select Committee on the Demise of Certain State Mining Rights be fixed at seven members, and that the Committee be empowered to alter the quorum from time to time. [Deputy Norton.]

Ordered: That the Order of Reference to the Select Committee be extended to include the power to hear Counsel on behalf of witnesses if the Committee thinks fit and to fix procedure in connection therewith. [Deputy Norton.]

Ordered: That the Order of Reference to the Select Committee be extended to include the power of determining questions of procedure not already determined by the Standing Orders. [Deputy Norton.]

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