Vol. 251 No. 5
asked the Minister for Local Government if his Department have, as yet, completed their draft White Paper on the reform of the structure of the system of local government; and whether the White Paper will contain proposals regarding a greater Dublin local authority.
67.
asked the Minister for Local Government if any proposals are under consideration for the restructuring of local government administration.
I propose, with your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together.
The White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation will be published within the next few weeks. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot, at this stage, deal with specific issues.
May I put it to the Minister that he should inform the House of the particular information requested in view of the fact that he has freely given it to the evening newspapers in the Dublin area; he has given these papers his own personal comprehensive views of the reorganisation of the system of local government and in the circumstances could he now confirm whether or not we are likely to see a greater Dublin local authority proposal emerging from the White Paper?
I did not disclose any specific information regarding the contents of the White Paper and that was made quite clear in the article which I think the Deputy is referring to.
One does not require any stretch of imagination to understand the phrase "it is understood" written into the middle of a newspaper article which freely quotes the Minister verbatim in other sections of the article. Therefore, may I put it to him: will there be in the White Paper, or can he anticipate, any proposal relating to the Greater Dublin Council? I think there has been an excessive amount of speculation in this matter and surely he could put the people of the Greater Dublin area out of pain in that regard.
The White Paper will be published within a few weeks and will be circulated to all Deputies.
In regard to Question No. 68, the Deputy concerned is prepared to accept a written answer.
