asked the Taoiseach if he will state (a) for himself and (b) for his Parliamentary Secretary the cost of officially provided Christmas greeting cards sent in 1968; if the postage was provided free by his Department and, if so, the cost in each case; if he can give an estimate of cards on order for this year under each heading; and if the cards will be sent post free.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Christmas Greeting Cards.
1.
The cost of official Christmas greeting cards sent by me in 1968 was £337 12s 9d. As postal charges on officially-provided cards are largely recouped to the Vote for the Department of Posts and Telegraphs on the basis of estimates prepared by that Department for all Departmental correspondence issued, it is not possible to give the exact cost of postage for 1968, but it is estimated at £42.
It is estimated that the cost of official Christmas greeting cards this year will be £303: the cost, together with the postage involved, will be borne by my Department.
Cards for my private use are provided at my own expense; I also pay the postage on such cards.
As regards my Parliamentary Secretary, the cost of Christmas cards sent in 1968 was £22 and the postage is estimated at £21. It is estimated that the cost of cards to be sent in 1969 will be £56.
Does the Taoiseach not consider that it would be more decent and honourable in the event of himself and members of the Government desiring to send Christmas cards at random, that the cards should be provided and paid for by the sender and also the postage? I think it is a most despicable practice.
This practice has been followed for many years. When I became Taoiseach I found that the cards were sent to the Taoiseach's Department on behalf of and/or by heads of Government, heads of State, heads of institutions all over the world, religious and otherwise who have an interest in Ireland. The practice has invariably been that the Taoiseach in his official capacity returns these cards and that is what I did. As far as my own private cards are concerned, as I told the Deputy, I paid for them myself.
Is the Taoiseach aware that members of his Government are at present in the course of sending out the electors lists to various Fianna Fáil Cumainn in their areas and having them suitably marked so that a Christmas card can be despatched? Does the Taoiseach think that in the interests of the taxpayer that is wise and prudent spending? I think it is disgraceful spending.
Mr. J. Lenehan
That is not true.
What the Deputy has just alleged is totally untrue.
It is true. I can prove to the Taoiseach that it is true.
If the Deputy will accord me the courtesy of allowing me to answer his second question, what he has said is totally untrue. He has similar questions down to each of the other Ministers and they will answer for themselves and they will satisfy the House, if not Deputy Flanagan, that his allegations are unfounded.
We shall see what they will say.
Regardless of what has happened in the past, will the Taoiseach not agree that it is desirable where cards are sent by Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries to constituents, that the cost should be borne by their own pockets and not by the taxpayers? It is different in the case of cards going to the heads of State or the heads of Government in other countries. Irrespective of the practice in the past it is not right that public funds should be asked to bear the cost of Christmas cards for Parliamentary Secretaries or Ministers when these cards are sent to their own constituents.
I do not know anything about that. I regard cards sent officially by Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries in an official capacity as an expense to be properly borne by public funds. I think that is reasonable. I do not know anything about private cards but I know that when Deputy Flanagan was Parliamentary Secretary he sent out 3,000 Christmas cards——
That is not correct.
(Interruptions.)
May I say that is not true? Last year and the year before when I was sending Christmas cards I paid for them in Portlaoise post office and nobody knows that better than the Portlaoise people. The allegation of the Taoiseach is not true.
(Interruptions.)
If it happened that I had, as a colleague in my constituency, a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, does the Taoiseach appreciate the grave disadvantage there would be for me in that fact since I am a Deputy who sends no Christmas cards to anyone because I think they are irrelevant? I never bother sending Christmas cards to anyone but I would not like to see a Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary in my constituency ingratiating himself with constituents——
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 2—Deputy Barry Desmond.