asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he can state whether his attention has been drawn to the report in a newspaper of the presence of an under-sheriff at a political meeting railed to form a working executive for a political party, and whether such under-sheriff by terms of established law must act as returning officer in such county as a constituency in any election to return members to the Dáil for such county constituency; whether it is proposed during the present session of the Oireachtas to amend the law relating to the conduct of elections to Dáil Eireann, and whether a provision shall be inserted therein prohibiting the returning officer from having active political ties at any part of such time as he is liable to be called on to act as returning officer in his capacity as under-sheriff.
PRIVATE NOTICE QUESTION. - CLARE UNDER-SHERIFF AND A POLITICAL MEETING.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It is not the intention to amend the law in the manner suggested. Public officials can be trusted to act with impartiality It is well known that the Government deprecates any active participation in political concerns on the part of officials.
Could the Minister say how many would be present if the officials were absent?