asked the Minister for Education whether the evidence given before the Technical Education Commission is prepared for publication immediately after the examination of witnesses, and whether, and when, the evidence already received will be available for the information of Deputies and others.
PRIVATE NOTICE QUESTION. - EVIDENCE AT COMMISSION ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
No arrangements have been made for the publication of the evidence given by witnesses at the Commission on Technical Education. As most of the sittings of the Commission are public, representatives of the Press are in a position to publish, and have published from day to day, summaries or selections from the evidence which they consider of interest or importance.
Are we to understand that there are special arrangements with the Press so that in this particular matter we will get the whole truth or any considerable portion of the truth?
There is no special arrangement with the Press. It was decided—and I think in this the Commission were in agreement—that the evidence was not to be published as a complete whole. There is a typescript of the evidence that will be furnished to individual members. It was decided that as some of the evidence was confidential it could not be published. It was also decided that the cost of publication would outweigh any use that the public was likely to get from the publication of the evidence. I could consider the question as to whether typescript copies might not be available in certain places, such as the library here or the National Library.
In view of the fact that a verbatim report, or something amounting to a verbatim report, of the evidence is taken and is apparently given to the different members of the Commission, it does seem most desirable that Deputies would be in a position to refer to the evidence, which appears to cover a very large number of important matters, and I would ask whether the Minister would see that a copy is placed at least in the library here and in the National Library?
I have promised the Deputy to consider the feasibility of that particular course, that for the advantage of Deputies a copy should be placed in the library here, and that for the advantage of the general public a copy might be placed in the National Library.
Is the Minister able to say whether he can immediately place a copy in the library, or whether it is likely that a copy would be so placed before the Dáil meets after the recess?
I will look into that. I am afraid I will have to have notice of that question.
I hope the Minister will see if he provides a copy that that copy will not be too well blurred.