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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Apr 1943

Vol. 89 No. 13

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Advertising.

asked the Minister for Supplies whether there was received in his Department a letter dated March 2nd, 1943, from Mr. E.T. Keane, Managing Director of the Kilkenny People; whether he is aware that Mr. Keane requested that instructions be given for the issue to his paper of an advertisement relating to maximum retail prices; whether his request was refused, and, if so, on what grounds; whether he is aware that the failure of his Department to publish this advertisement in the paper in question imposes a great hardship on many thousands of people in Kilkenny and the surrounding counties who are readers of the Kilkenny People; and whether he is prepared to order that, in future, advertisements of this kind will be issued to this newspaper.

asked the Minister for Supplies whether his attention has been directed to a front-page article published in a Kilkenny newspaper, The Post, under date March 24th, by Mr. E.T. Keane, Managing Director of the Kilkenny People; whether his attention was directed to the statement therein that Mr. Keane was invited by telephone on February 13th to visit Dublin for the purpose of an interview with the permanent secretary of his Department; that a tentative appointment was made for the interview to take place on February 20th; that on February 15th the invitation was withdrawn and the proposed interview cancelled without any explanation to Mr. Keane; whether he will state if the purpose of the proposed interview was to discuss the letter written by Mr. Keane to the permanent secretary on February 8th, and, if not, what was its purpose: and, further, whether he will state the reason for the cancellation of the tentative appointment, and for the failure to repeat the invitation to Mr. Keane.

I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. The letter dated March 2nd, 1943, was received in my Department. On my directions a provisional arrangement was made for an appointment between Mr. Keane and the Secretary of the Department for the purpose of discussing the claim made in the letter for a share of the Department's advertising for the Kilkenny People. Unavoidable circumstances required the postponement of the appointment and Mr. Keane was so informed. In the meantime, however, my attention was drawn to a further article in the Kilkenny People and, having regard to the tone of the article, I felt that no useful purpose would be served by discussing the application made in the letter of March 2nd. It is not at present proposed to add to the list of provincial newspapers in which the Department's advertisements are inserted.

Is the Minister afraid to meet Mr. Keane?

Oh, not at all.

Is he afraid of Mr. Keane's articles?

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