Deputy Bruton gave notice that he wished to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the EEC scheme for free school milk and milk products. Deputy Bruton has only 20 minutes and the Minister will have 10 minutes to reply.
Adjournment Debate. - Business of Dáil.
I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, is the Minister involved in this. To whom has the question been allowed?
Apparently the matter has been allowed and I am told that it is the Department of Social Welfare.
It has been allowed to the Minister for Social Welfare?
The Minister mentioned in the earlier debate that this matter would be dealt with on the Adjournment, so he will have an opportunity of dealing with it now.
We will have to clear which Minister is taking it.
We have waited long enough for a decision. I do not mind waiting another 10 minutes.
The matter arises out of Parliamentary Question No. 241 of the 30th November and the reply thereto. Was that a social welfare question?
For the sake of accuracy I should inform the House that I did not raise this matter in respect of any particular question. I raised this matter as a general question.
I accept that but I am dealing with the note for the Chair——
In my request to have this matter discussed I did not mention a particular Minister.
"The Minister for Education was quite categoric that school meals were not a matter for him. This view was confirmed to me by his Department. However, I then contacted the Department of Social Welfare to see how they stood in relation to this matter. Under the School Meals Acts, 1914 to 1975, they contribute 50 per cent of the cost of meals. The implementation of the scheme is for the local authorities and the Department have no direct function there. The EEC scheme involves milk only. The Department prefer to see the school meals and school milk issues as being quite separate. They consider that the implementation of such a scheme could be done administratively on foot of a Government decision and steps are apparently being taken to see that this is being done". It is in order and has been accepted.
There seems to be confusion on the Government side in relation to the areas of responsibility.
The Minister said in the Estimate that another Minister would be dealing with this.
I am in the hands of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
In light of the Department's information, legislation may not be required. It is a matter requiring further elucidation on the Adjournment. It is not for the Chair to decide which Minister. The Chair has been told that the Minister for Social Welfare was taking it and that is all he knows about it.
I had no knowledge that the Minister for Social Welfare was on the Adjournment on this matter. Deputy Browne raised the question on some other matter and that is the only suggestion that I would be on the Adjournment.
I understand the Minister's Department were consulted on the matter and apparently they have agreed. The Ceann Comhairle has accepted this as suitable matter for the Adjournment.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, your ruling has been taken on the Adjournment.
I am sure Deputy Bruton would like a complete and full reply on it. If we adjourn it now, we could take it on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. The Minister would need to be briefed on it.
That is all right by me. I make a submission that it is clear that the European Community are involved in this and that is a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Milk is involved in this and that is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture. Schools are involved and that is a matter for the Minister for Education, and in a very remote way the Minister for Social Welfare may or may not be involved.
What are the Government for?
I am talking about the rules of the House now. As the local authorities are involved this is a matter for the Minister for the Environment.
We cannot bring in all the Ministers. I strongly urge Deputy Bruton that he leave this question until next Tuesday. Apparently there is complete misunderstanding about it. The Minister for Social Welfare has not been informed, apparently. I am in the Deputy's hands. If the Deputy wants a satisfactory reply——
I am prepared to defer this matter if I can have an assurance from the Minister for Social Welfare that it will be settled at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting as to which Department are responsible. We have been waiting for a decision on this matter. It involves money which Ireland could have obtained and which could have been spent since 1st May and no Government Department have yet decided, even today, who is responsible. This is an unprecedented occurrence.
Sorry, Deputy, it is postponed.
Will it be discussed?
Deputy Bruton may raise it on Tuesday with the Ceann Comhairle who can decide when it will be taken then.
I will agree very reluctantly to postpone this matter.
The Dáil adjourned at 4.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 6th December, 1977.