asked the Minister for Finance 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.
23.
The cost of official Christmas greeting cards sent by me in 1968 was £41 12s 6d. It is not possible to give the exact cost of the postage as it is included in the total bill for postage for my Department but it is estimated at £14 approximately. It was paid for by my Department.
It is estimated that the cost of official Christmas greeting cards and postage this year will be similar and will be borne by my Department. The personal cards which I send are stamped and paid for by me personally and not out of State funds. As regards my Parliamentary Secretary, the cost of Christmas cards sent in 1968 was £36 12s 10d and the cost of postage was £11 7s 6d. It is estimated that the cost of cards to be sent this year will be similar. The postage in 1968 was paid out of the Vote for the Office of Public Works and will be similarly paid this year.
Does the Minister consider it to be a high degree of good manners to send a card the recipient of which is already paying for card and postage? Is there not something wrong in that?
You did not object to it before. You sent them.
Let Deputy Harry Worth keep out of this.
I do not agree with the Deputy. It is an important part of one's duties as a Minister to send official greetings at Christmas to appropriate persons.
I have no objection to the Minister sending official cards to directors of banks, the Sugar Company and so on, but I object to sending them to constituents.
Let me finish. The only cost borne by State funds is in respect of cards sent by me in my official capacity to persons with whom I have official relations as Minister for Finance.
Not as a Deputy.
I do not send, and never have sent, cards to constituents or personal friends at State expense.
I hope all other Ministers will act in the same way.
As far as I know they do.
Would the Minister agree that Fianna Fáil did not invent Christmas and that in fact it is quite normal practice for Ministers to send Christmas cards and that most people in the House have no objection to the practice provided the cards are made in Ireland?
I hope so. I think it is part of our official duty to send cards to various people in our official capacity.
It is the flooding of constituencies with cards that I objected to.
Question No. 24 postponed.