asked the Minister for Finance if he will state what arrangements have been made for the appropriation of the balance of the Governor-General's salary, amounting to a sum of £8,000, which the Governor-General on his appointment agreed not to take.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Governor-General's Salary.
The amount of salary which has been forgone by the Governor-General remains in the Exchequer, and accordingly is available for any purpose for which moneys in the Exchequer are lawfully available.
Is the Minister aware that there has been a very ugly rumour with regard to that? It was to give him an opportunity of allaying the rumour that I put down the question. The rumour was to the effect that any portion of the salary over £2,000 was to be remitted for the purpose of financing the Irish Press?
I understood the Deputy to say that there was a very ugly rumour in circulation. This is the first time that rumour has been put in circulation, and it has been put in circulation by the Deputy's question now.
Surely when a Deputy, in good faith, publicly affords an opportunity to the Minister for Finance to quell a rumour of that character it would be much more in the public interest if the Minister would credit it and have done with it.
Is that a question?
Nobody would believe it but yourself.
I do not believe it.
I deprecate the suggestion that I have raised this rumour. I heard it down the country very far away from Dublin.
Why did not the Deputy put it down as a question? He hoped by a supplementary question to prevent me from replying to the suggestion which he was making.
I did put it down and it was struck out.