asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will (i) state in respect of the six men who were taken into employment at the Harbour Yard, Dún Laoghaire, on the 21st June last, their names, ages, marital condition, previous occupation and employment, service (if any) with Defence Forces, date of last employment. date of registration at Dún Laoghaire Employment Exchange, and date on which their names were submitted by the exchange to the Harbour Yard authorities as applicants for employment; (ii) give corresponding particulars in respect of the men employed on 22nd June, the 2nd July, 15th July and 22nd July respectively.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Harbour Yard, Dún Laoghaire.
It has long been settled practice in my Department to treat the information furnished by applicants registered at its local offices as confidential and to decline, save with the applicant's prior consent or at the order of a court of law, to disclose the details of that information to any person except a prospective employer. I consider the practice is a sound one and I am not prepared to agree to a breach of it to supply the information asked for in this question.
Arising out of the reply, will the Minister assure the House that the practice which appertained during Deputy MacEntee's tenure of the Ministry of Local Government whereby appointments to local government positions were made——
That does not arise here.
——by virtue of membership of Fianna Fáil has ceased?
The functions of my Department in this matter are to supply prospective employers with the names of persons considered suitable. It is a matter then for a prospective employer or an employing authority to consider whether they are suitable. My Department has no other function in the matter.
Will the Minister say whether the employing authority in this matter was a Department of State?
It is a Department of State for which I have no responsibility in this House.
I know that the doctrine of collective responsibility has long since disappeared.
I carry out the letter of the law.