asked the Taoiseach if he will state the circumstances under which a document entitled "Ireland's New Man of Destiny" came to be circulated by the Government Information Bureau.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Information Bureau.
Mr. Boland
The article entitled "Ireland's New Man of Destiny," published in The Saturday Evening Post, was issued by the Government Information Bureau through a mistake which occurred owing to a misunderstanding in the Office of the Minister for External Affairs.
John O'Donnell, a columnist whose articles are syndicated throughout the American Press, devoted two articles, in connection with the visit of the Minister for External Affairs to the United States, to Partition and the Atlantic Pact. The Minister, writing from the United States on the 16th April, 1949, instructed his Office to have the first of these two articles circulated, as he felt that it was of public interest and value. This article was duly issued through the Government Information Bureau.
On the 27th April, 1949, the Minister for External Affairs sent similar instructions from the United States to his Office concerning the second article by John O'Donnell. These instructions were misunderstood in his Office and were taken to refer to the article entitled "Ireland's New Man of Destiny" by James P. O'Donnell, which had appeared in an issue of The Saturday Evening Post, which happened to be received on the same date as the Minister's instructions. The result was that the Government Information Bureau was requested by the Minister's Office to issue The Saturday Evening Post article by James P. O'Donnell.
It was at no time the intention of the Minister for External Affairs that The Saturday Evening Post article should have been issued.
I might add that, as soon as the Minister for External Affairs heard of the mistake that had occurred in regard to the article, he wrote to the Leader of the Opposition, on the 12th instant, and informed him of the full facts of the matter.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach whether the position is that any statement which is handed to the Government Information Bureau by any Department will be issued without reference as to whether it is offensive or not? Has the Director of the Government Information Bureau no function in the matter? I should imagine that, in a case such as this when the opening paragraph of the article is offensive to the Leader of the Opposition or to any member of the House, the Director would, if he was doing his job, call the Taoiseach's attention to the nature of the article and ask whether it was really intended to publish it. Does he merely type what is given to him and has he no function whereby he will read it——
The Deputy should not make a speech.
Mr. Boland
I do not think I am making a speech. This is a very important matter. I am asking the Taoiseach a question which I know most Deputies would like answered. Has the Director of the Government Information Bureau not got any function in a matter of this kind, or must he take what is given to him?
The Director of the Government Information Bureau would, of course, have a function in connection with a matter of this kind and would be bound to see that offensive articles of this kind were not issued. As he was directed by the Minister's order, as they thought, he felt he had no option but to obey. That was the understanding when he drew attention to the fact that this article was of a type that should not be issued and was told it was the Minister's order.
asked the Taoiseach if he will arrange that copies of all statements issued by the Government Information Bureau since 1st January, 1949, are now placed in the Dáil Library for the information of Deputies and that copies of all such statements issued in future be placed in the Library on the day of issue.
I will arrange that a copy of every statement issued in future by the Government Information Bureau will be sent to the Oireachtas Library on the day of issue.
Having regard, however, to the fact that the statements which have been issued by the bureau have been published in the Press, I do not consider that any purpose commensurate with the expenditure of time and labour that would be involved would be served by adopting the Deputy's suggestion that copies of all such statements issued since the 1st January last should also be placed in the Library.
I want to tell the Taoiseach that I am perfectly satisfied with his assurance in regard to these documents in the future.
Thank you.