andMr. P. Barry asked the Minister for Finance the total number of semi-State or semiautonomous State-financed bodies which have not to date been formally established by a specific statute under which the terms on which money was made available to them could have been debated by the Oireachtas; the total expenditure projected for 1979 by such bodies; and if it is considered good policy that such bodies should be established without prior statutory authority.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Financed Bodies.
10.
In relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department, all have been established under appropriate legislation. The remainder of the question does not therefore arise.
Does the Minister agree that his Department exercise a general co-ordinating role in policy in regard to State bodies and that, therefore, the question is addressed to him in order to get information about the entire public sector?
No, that would be stretching it rather far. As the Deputy is aware, there are quite a number of State bodies other than those under the aegis of my Department for which different Ministers have statutory responsibility.
Would the Minister agree that his Department exercise a central role in relation to semi-State bodies in general, even those not under his aegis?
In relation to financing and accounting.
Then why did he not answer the question?
I refer the Deputy again to his own question. The Deputy asked the Minister for Finance the total number of semi-State or semiautonomous State-financed bodies which have not to date been formally established by a specific statute.
Yes, but not just by the Minister's Department. I did not ask about those solely under the aegis directly of the Minister. I asked about the public sector in general in view of the fact that the Minister has a central responsibility in relation to semi-State bodies. If the Minister does not bother to get the information I will put down a question to all the other Ministers.
Deputy Bruton seems to be under a misapprehension about this. In so far as the Minister for Finance has any central role in this matter it relates to finance and accounting. It does not relate to the statutory duties and obligations of various semi-State bodies. If Deputy Bruton chooses for his own purposes—maybe because it is more convenient for him—to put down a question to me instead of to the appropriate Minister, that is his fault and he need not try to blame me for it. I am not entitled, nor would the Ceann Comhairle allow me, to reply to questions in relation to the statutory functions of other Ministers.
I believe that the Minister did answer a question about semi-State bodies in general some weeks ago, so he is not acting consistently. I can produce the evidence, if necessary.
If the Deputy is trying to establish the fact that I answered questions of any kind about any semi-State body, I want to make it quite clear to him that that is not correct. None of my predecessors has done it, I am not doing it and none of my successors will do it unless the law is changed.
We will see.