The people who are to have these new allowances applied to them are described as members of the Oireachtas. No members, as such, are excluded?
Committee on Finance. - Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Bill, 1962—Report and Final Stages.
Bill received for final consideration.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
No.
Does it necessarily include Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries?
It would not apply to Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries for the night allowance. It would apply to Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries in respect of free postage to their constituencies.
For what?
Ministers' correspondence with their constituencies will benefit by this. They will have the free postage. That is the only matter that affects Ministers.
What is the position in the case of Parliamentary Secretaries?
The same would apply there, of course, that they will have free postage.
Is it considered that Parliamentary Secretaries are required to give the same full-time service as Ministers?
They may not give full-time service but at the present time the rule I try to apply in my own office and the direction I give are that if I get a letter which I get as Minister for Finance with some enquiry that might concern the Department of Finance, the reply goes out free of postage but if I get a letter from a constituent asking me to do something for him with the Department of Social Welfare, then the reply is stamped going out. Ministers will have free postage now to their constituencies, the same as Deputies.
What about the nightly allowances? Are they included for that?
The nightly allowance will not be given because a Minister is supposed to live near his work.
Is there any distinction in the case of Parliamentary Secretaries for the purposes of this Bill?
No. A Minister or Parliamentary Secretary is supposed to live near his work and therefore he does not get the night allowance.
Question put and agreed to.