asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government have undertaken or authorised a public opinion poll on the referendum; and, if so, if he will state the cost of this survey and if it is proposed to publish the result.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Referendum Public Opinion Poll.
15.
The only operation undertaken or authorised by the Government in this matter was a survey to ascertain the areas of information on which my Department's Information Service should concentrate in order to inform the public fully on the EEC and on our application for membership.
May I ask the Minister to state the cost of this and to whom it was available? Was it just available to the Fianna Fáil Party or to the Government or to the public? Was this publication undertaken from public funds?
It is not normal to publish such a study. The study was done in order to deal efficiently with the question——
But may I ask the Minister——
May I answer first, please?
Yes, you may.
It has nothing to do with the Fianna Fáil Party, except in so far as we are now the Government.
A happy coincidence.
If the Deputy has any aspirations to reach Government, he will have the same rights.
I do not think you are eternally synonymous——
I did not say "eternally". I said "now". It might seem like an eternity to the Deputy.
It does, at times.
We had great complaints from the Labour Party that we were not informing the public. With the agreement of the Government, I decided to set up an Information Section. I also decided that we should do this efficiently. This, again, the Deputy might find against his principles. We had a survey taken to find out in detail in sectional parts of the public the points on which they sought information. This was a deep and wide survey and quite expensive, but not at all in the nature of what the Deputy would call "an opinion poll". It showed attitudes——
(Interruptions.)
Could I ask the Minister when that was undertaken and at what cost?
I think it was done last September.
Was it commissioned by the Department of Finance?
No, by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Finance would supply the money.
May I ask at what cost?
Has it proved of great assistance to the Taoiseach on his tour at the moment?
The cost was over £6,000.
(Interruptions.)
It is not normal to publish that type of information.
Has it been of any assistance to the Taoiseach on his tour?
(Interruptions.)
I have discovered the Labour Party have not been reading what I sent them during the last two years.
Will the results not be made available to the public?
On Wednesday, 10th May.
Will they not be made available now?
It is not normal to publish that type of information.
After the Minister's very eloquent defence of the necessity for the referendum could he say whether we are to take it as a result of the Taoiseach's non-stay in Donegal in his referendum campaign that the result of the referendum survey gave an adverse result for County Donegal since it seems to be detaining the Taoiseach for a long time in his present tour?
The survey was not on the referendum.
I know it was not.
The survey was to base information on——
The survey was to tell you what chance you have.
No, we will find that out the way we have always found out. As you say, it looks like an eternity since we came here. We will find it out direct from the people.