asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the reason for the delay in the publication of the 1978 RTE accounts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - RTE Accounts.
15.
RTE's accounts for the year ended 30 September 1978 are included in the 1978 RTE annual report, copies of which were laid before each House of the Oireachtas on 19 September 1979. The report was published immediately afterwards and the date of publication was not materially later than in other years.
Did I understand the Minister to say that the 1978 accounts were included in the 1978 report?
The 1979 report.
All right, and that that was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas last September?
The 1978 accounts were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in September 1979.
Any Member of the House will know from memory that this report was not received until I put down that question three or four weeks ago.
I do not think the Deputy is correct. I think he may be confusing it with the issue of the RTE Handbook which incorporated the 1978 accounts, but the accounts were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 19 September 1979.
Is the Minister satisfied that the accounts should be 12 months late?
It has been running that way over the years. I am not satisfied. I would certainly like to have the accounts of every semi-State body before the Houses at a much earlier date and I shall be pursuing that matter with all of them.
Is there a reason for them being late this time? I think most Deputies received them in their post in the last month. In relation to events which took place over two-and-a-half years ago—we are dealing with the accounts from 1 October 1977 to 30 September 1978—was there a particular reason for them being so late?
None whatsoever. The accounts and report for the year ended 30 September 1975 were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 13 August 1976; for the following year, 1976, they were laid before the Houses on 4 July 1977 and for the following year in August 1978, we are talking about a matter of weeks. There has been no material difference between any of them over the last three or four years.
Would the Minister agree that it is customary, when accounts are laid before the House that they are then circulated to Deputies at the same time?
Certainly, and they were laid before the House on 19 September 1979. I think the Deputy is confusing this with the issue of the RTE Handbook which incorporated the accounts, because the accounts were laid before the House on 19 September 1979.
That may well be, but they were not circulated to Deputies on 19 September. They came to Deputies only in the last month when they were incorporated in the 1979 Handbook.
My information is that they were but I will investigate the situation to which the Deputy has drawn attention.
Has the Minister taken up with the Authority his dissatisfaction at the delay in producing the accounts?
I have issued a letter to every semi-State body asking for annual accounts to be compiled and cleared as soon as possible, for the information not only of the Department but of this House.
That is not what I asked. Has the Minister taken up this matter specifically with the board in question?
Which matter?
The matter of the delay in the presentation of the accounts of the RTE Authority. Has the Minister instructed the members of the RTE Board in this matter?
I shall do that. I do not think it is necessary, but I shall do it.
Has the Minister met the board recently, since these accounts were produced?
No.
The Minister has never met the board of RTE?
These are separate questions. We are not going to have a full debate on item after item.
That is a truthful statement.
I am very sorry to hear that that is a truthful statement. I would have thought that the Minister would have made it his business to meet the most important board under his control.
The answer, as I have said, is no.
The Minister is running away.
It is running away. Has the Minister met the boards of the other State bodies under his control?
Yes, every one of them.
Surely that is running away, then?
Of course it is.
I have answered the question. I am not running away from anything.
Question No. 16. These questions have nothing to do with the Minister. It is not in order to ask a Minister if he has met State bodies. That has nothing whatever to do with the question on the Order Paper. The Minister should answer the question I called.