asked the Minister for Finance whether he will instal a printing office in the Government Publications Department for the printing of all documents relating to the business of Oireachtas Éireann, with a view to ensuring, amongst other advantages, that the official records of debates may be made available to Deputies on the day after the debate, instead of from two to three days later, as is now the practice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Printing Office.
The arrangements at present carried out by the printing contractors are in accordance with the schedule of deliveries prescribed under the contract after consultation with the Ceann Comhairle. Apart from an increase in staff, a very extensive plant would be required to secure the object desired by the Deputy, and the operation of such a plant, even if it were procurable, would be entirely uneconomic. In the circumstances the proposal is not one that recommends itself to me.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this matter came before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and that a new system was devised with the object of ensuring that the Official Report would be in the hands of Deputies the morning after the debate had taken place, but that the plan has so worked out that the Official Report is now not in the hands of Deputies for three days after the debate has taken place and that, whereas Deputies heretofore had the right to correct the proofs, that that right has been withdrawn? Will the Parliamentary Secretary reexamine the new scheme with the view of determining whether the old system, bad as it was, would not be better than the system that has been substituted for it?
I am not so aware. The schedule of deliveries has, according to my information, been lived up to by the contractor, with the exception of the past few weeks, perhaps, when there was some question of a difficulty with the staff and also a difficulty in regard to this House and the Seanad sitting fairly continuously. There were delays occasioned as a result. I do not think there has been any departure by the contractor from the schedule agreed upon in the terms of the contract.
Quite apart from any departure of that sort, is the Parliamentary Secretary in a position to inform the House whether it was not the intention to ensure that the report would be in the hands of Deputies the morning after the debate had taken place and, in fact, that that intention has not been realised, and whether he can think of any plan which would give effect to that intention on the part of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges?
It is not possible for me to say what the intention of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges was, but I can say what exactly were the terms of the contract into which the printer entered, and I say that that contract has been observed by him.
Except within the past few weeks?
Yes.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the Minister for Finance is considering the position of the reporting staff? The reporting machinery is utterly inadequate to deal with the business of the Houses of Parliament. Where any part of the business is done in the Irish language, there is a complete breakdown. Now that we are approaching the Recess, could that matter be fully gone into?
These are matters, I take it, that could more properly be discussed at first by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary also aware that there are mechanical difficulties in the way of doing these things? Is he further aware that, even if he were to transfer the business from one firm to another in Dublin, it would not make any difference in the date of delivery of the Dáil debates to the members of this House—not a bit? I am surprised at the ignorance of my old friend and colleague, Deputy Dillon, in putting down such a question at all.
Except that my dear friend, Deputy Anthony, has not read the question.
I did read it.