asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of copies which were issued of the 36-page booklet of his speech to Seanad Éireann on the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1975; and the total cost of producing and printing the booklet.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister's Seanad Speech.
60.
Mr. R. Burke
The number of copies printed of the booklet to which the Deputy refers was 2,000. The total cost of producing and printing the booklet was £366.
Is it going to be a practice of Ministers now that when they make a speech in the Seanad or in the Dáil they will have it printed in booklet form for distribution at the taxpayers' expense? Is this new Government policy?
It is very difficult to pursue this matter in the absence of the Minister concerned but I think the Minister answering for the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs will agree that it is a disgraceful situation. In my constituency, for instance, there are 750 applicants for telephone service, some of them waiting over three years, many of them of a priority nature who cannot get a telephone. Here we have the Minister for that Department spending £350 to start with—I would think it is a start only—on a speech of his. Surely the Minister would agree that that money would be much better spent, indeed properly spent—it is not properly spent here—on the provision of necessary telephones.
Mr. R. Burke
In reply to Deputy Nolan, first of all, this is not, in any sense, a new Government policy. He will appreciate, if he considers the matter, that other members of other Governments had their speeches published over the years.
In regard to the point made by Deputy Browne, there is no necessary connection between his point about the alleged lack of telephones in his constituency and the publication of this booklet. I do not see the relevance of his point to the question asked.
Surely to goodness there is a relevancy where money is spent on the production of a useless item such as this. Certainly, the Minister received plenty of publicity for his speech without sending it out in booklet form, beautiful booklet form, I must admit. Surely there is relevancy when there is no money available in his Department to provide essential items for the people of this country. There must be a relevancy, especially where there is no money to provide the normal overtime that did exist in his Department in getting rid of the problems that existed there.
Mr. R. Burke
Surely the Deputy would agree that practically unanimous opinion is that the speech in question was of very high quality, with admirable clarity.
It is an example of the Minister's intellectual vanity, no more, no less.
Intellectual vanity. That is what it was.
There is only one man in the country who would agree that this speech was of any major importance—either nationally or internationally—and that was the Minister who made it himself.
Would the Minister not agree that the Minister concerned should have been surcharged?
I noticed the Minister winking at his Labour colleague in the front bench. Would he explain to us why the Labour Party speech attacking him at the Galway conference was not issued in booklet form.
Mr. R. Burke
It was not necessary.
Question No. 61.
It was not necessary that it be issued in booklet form.
(Interruptions.)
A bunch of gangsters.
The Deputy should not use an expression like that.
It is hard to resist.
I am sure the Deputy does not want to compound what is unparliamentary.
I said it was hard to resist.
I said the Deputy should not compound what is unparliamentary.
Deputy Brennan used the phrase that was used at the Galway conference, a repetition of that particular phrase.
Mr. R. Burke
No, he did not. He used a phrase of his own.
I used a phrase as a result of the arrogance and derision shown.