asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state in respect of (a) his office and (b) the office of his Parliamentary Secretary, the amount paid in respect of telegrams sent therefrom during the past 12 months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Telegrams.
130.
Telegrams from this office have always been sent by telephone, and no record is kept of the cost of the telegrams which is included in the relative telephone accounts. Telegram forms for the period prior to 1st April, 1969, are no longer available but an examination of the forms from 1st April to 31st October shows that telegrams to the value of £38 8s. were sent from the Minister's Office in this period.
I have no Parliamentary Secretary.
Can the Minister give us any idea of why Deputy Flanagan is putting down all these questions?
Will the Minister please tell me if, when sending these telegrams——
Mr. J. Lenehan
Shut up. You cut your hair, anyway.
This is extraneous.
If I heard the Minister correctly, he said telegrams are sent by telephone and that as a result no record is kept of the cost.
The Deputy is half right and half wrong.
Mr. J. Lenehan
Where is Deputy Flanagan?
Will Deputy Lenehan please stop interrupting?
It should be possible for the Minister to know.
Because Question Time goes on for such a long period, I appreciate it is difficult for the Deputy to keep listening all the time, particularly for a Deputy as diligent as Deputy O'Connell. I said that no record is kept of the telegrams in my office but they are included in the relative telephone accounts. Telegram forms stretch back for only seven months. If a question of this nature were put down every six months, there would be a complete annual record. In that case, we could trace the tickets the telephonists keep.
Therefore, Deputy Flanagan should put down a Question every six months.
I did not make such a suggestion.
On a point made in relation to Deputy Flanagan, he has every right to put down questions if he wishes. If the Minister wishes to send a telegram of congratulation or of sympathy, is that paid for by the State?
It does not arise on the question.
If I am sending a telegram as Minister, I send it from the office.
The Chair has called Question 131. The Chair will not allow further supplementaries.
Does the State pay the cost of a telegram sent by the Minister to a bereaved person?
The Chair is asking the Minister to reply to Question No. 131.