asked the Minister for External Affairs whether his private secretary is exempt from the instructions contained in Department of Finance Circular No. 21/32, which deals with civil servants and politics; and if he is aware that over a long period she has attended Fine Gael committee meetings in the Library, Dundrum, and was actively engaged at several polling booths, canvassing votes for Fine Gael candidates on election day, 23rd June, 1955.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister's Private Secretary.
All civil servants are bound by the instructions in Department of Finance Circular No. 21/32. It is the normal practice for private secretaries to Ministers to accompany them wherever and whenever required. The answer to the final part of the question is in the negative.
Would the Minister say if it is not a fact that this civil servant was outside several polling stations on the day of the election doing electioneering work, and the Minister was not present?
Will the Minister state if the circular referred to in this question was at any time issued to a director of the Government Information Bureau who writes political articles in the Sunday Press?
It is not a fact to say that the person concerned was engaged in political work outside the polling booths.
Would the Minister like to be informed that my information definitely is to that effect and I have had it from a number of people in the constituency, a number of people who objected because one civil servant was allowed to do this work while civil servants attached, or civil servants——
Civil servants of other political views!
What about the leader-writer of the Irish Press?
What about Tod Andrews of Bord na Móna?
Civil servants are allowed to have political views.
The Deputy said it. I did not say it.
The Deputy should be allowed to finish his question.
What I want to get at is——
The leader-writer of the Irish Press.
Mr. Lemass
On a point of order. I suggest this practice of shouting down Fianna Fáil Deputies who ask questions embarrassing to the Government must stop and I am appealing to the Chair to stop it. This is not the first time it has happened.
I can assure Deputy Lemass the Chair will do its utmost to preserve order when there is disorder on any side of the House and I have already asked that Deputy Brady be allowed to continue.
My question is a very simple one. There is a regulation issued giving civil servants specific instructions, and all I want to ensure is that these instructions apply equally to every civil servant. That has not been so, at least——
The Deputy will ask question.
I have informed the Deputy that, as far as this civil servant is concerned, she has complied with the provisions of the circular referred to governing the actions of civil servants taking part in politics.
Arising out of that reply, there are two specific charges here: one is that this particular civil servant is known to have been in attendance at Fine Gael meetings in Dundrum Library over a considerable period. That is accusation No. 1. The other is a definite accusation, on information given to me by numerous people in the constituency, that on election day this particular civil servant was outside a number of polling booths handing out election literature and canvassing for specific Fine Gael candidates.
Would the Deputy say is that accusation made by Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil?
I have already told the Deputy that this civil servant is private secretary to a Minister, and it is the normal practice for private secretaries to accompany Ministers wherever and whenever required. The other allegation is not true. The civil servant concerned took no part in the political activities the Deputy suggests outside the polling booth.
Was it in order for a high officer of the Department of Justice to canvass a Deputy by letter to support the Fianna Fáil Party when they were trying to form a Government in 1951?
That is a separate question.
Will instructions of a more specific nature be issued to civil servants so that they will know definitely when they are allowed to take part in this activity and when they are not?
Was it your friend, Mr. Booth, told you that?
A member of the Labour Party interjected: a Labour candidate, I may say, was one of the objectors in this constituency because the same treatment was not meted out to him.
asked the Minister for External Affairs whether his private secretary was on leave from her office on Thursday, 23rd June, 1955.
As the Deputy is aware, the granting of leave is a matter of internal administration, and leave is granted as the exigencies of the service allow.