asked the Minister for Education the progress, if any, that has been made in the publication of an Irish shorthand textbook; and the arrangements that have been made for payment for work done on preparation of the manuscript (details supplied).
15.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Shorthand Textbook.
14.
asked the Minister for Education the arrangements, if any, that have been entered into with a publishing company (details supplied) for the granting of a copyright licence to allow publication of an Irish shorthand textbook; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Mr. R. Burke
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together.
My Department have received permission from the world copyright owners to publish an Irish edition of the Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified. A memorandum of agreement has, also, been drawn up by the copyright owners but, before this agreement can be signed, certain matters relating to the textbook must be resolved. These are under consideration at present and will be discussed with the author at an early date.
When these matters have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion and the terms of the agreement approved by the legal advisers, it will be possible to enter into a contract with the author and make payment to him for the work.
Will the Minister state the matters to be resolved?
Mr. R. Burke
As the Deputy may be aware the Department have been in contact with an Irish company who we understand had the right to the licence in the case, and when our representations did not yield any fruit we got in touch with the American world copyright owners directly. One of the conditions mentioned in that agreement was that the book was to be published by a specific date. In order to see that this could be done a study of the manuscript was undertaken both by the editorial staff of the publications branch and by the post-primary inspectorate. This study threw up some problems which had to be resolved in consultation both with the inspectorate and with the author in regard to the technical, editorial and teaching viewpoints.
Is the Minister aware that I had a question down on the 4th April, 1974, and from the information he has now given it seems that very little progress has been made in that 15-month period? Could I have an assurance from the Minister that he will do his best to resolve this matter as quickly as possible as it has dragged on for about seven or eight years now?
Mr. R. Burke
I understand the matter is now progressing and the Department will be in consultation with the author immediately.
The Minister appreciates that the author is completely unaware that any progress of this nature has been made, and would the Minister not consider it strange that some of this information has not been conveyed to him without the necessity of a Parliamentary Question in courtesy to the man who has put a lifetime of work into this?
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy will acknowledge that we have not been slack in pursuing these arrangements in the meantime.
The Minister knows that the person involved is not far away from where we are sitting right now.