asked the Minister for Social Welfare 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.
70.
The cost of officially provided Christmas cards sent by the Minister for Social Welfare in 1968 was £54 10s. The cards were dispatched as Departmental post and there was no separate postage cost. There was no Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare in 1968.
No cards have been ordered for the Minister for Social Welfare this year. Christmas cards ordered for the Parliamentary Secretary this year will cost £33 8s 7d and it is proposed to dispatch them as Departmental post.
When did the practice of ordering official Christmas cards for Parliamentary Secretaries commence?
Since the State was founded.
That is not correct.
I do not think the Taoiseach is correct about that. I certainly had to pay for mine.
When I was Parliamentary Secretary I bought and posted my own.
The Minister has stated that £33 is to be spent on Christmas cards for the Parliamentary Secretary this year and that they will be dispatched through the usual post. I should like to know if this means they are considered to be official?
The practice which has been followed up to now will be continued.
(Cavan): The Minister has stated that it is not proposed to order any Christmas cards for the Minister for Social Welfare this year. Does this not make it clear that the Christmas cards which are sent out from each Department are sent out as cards from the individual Minister concerned rather than from his Department? I would ask the Minister to arrange for them to be paid for personally.
That would be a matter for the Minister himself to decide.
(Interruptions.)