andMr. Harte asked the Minister for Finance if he authorised any Minister to hand out public moneys, such as cheques from Government Departments, at functions; if he is aware that this has happened; and the action he intends to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Distribution of Public Moneys.
14.
The authority of the Minister for Finance is not necessary for the method of distribution of public moneys from Government Departments.
Is the Minister aware that certain Ministers appear at functions, put their hands in their hip pockets and take out a departmental cheque to hand over? This is the first time I have heard of this practice and will the Minister agree that it is reprehensible and that it is just a way of trying to buy peoples' votes with their own money?
My authority is not necessary. However, the Deputy is mistaken if he thinks this is a new practice, although perhaps this is the first time the Deputy has heard of it. It happened under various administrations. I do not know which case the Deputy is referring to but on occasions organisations, particularly voluntary organisations, request that the money be presented by way of a formal ceremonial handing over of the cheque. That has happened on the occasion the Deputy has in mind.
(Interruptions.)
Have the Department the authority to hand a cheque to any individual? Are they not supposed to post, it? Have the Government lost faith in the postal service? Is the Minister aware that in the instances he mentioned, the paper was so favourable to the Minister that anybody would be under the impression that it was the Minister's cheque that was handed over, and one had to read that it was from the Department in another part of the paper?
The Deputy is making statements now.
I was asking the Minister if he was aware of it.
I know nothing about the bias of a particular paper nor do I know what impression those who made the request to the Minister wished to convey.
Is the Minister sure that they made a request?
Yes, but the Deputy has not named the case——
The Minister seems to know. There may be a case nearer to the Minister's heart.
(Interruptions.)
Will Deputy L'Estrange allow the Minister——
This has happened on occasions and it was not confined to this administration.
It has happened very often in the last few months.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that during the postal strike last year it was not possible for Deputies, for example, to collect a cheque on behalf of a constituent unless they had the written authority of the constituent directing the Department to allow the Deputy to collect the cheque? Will the Minister say whether there has been any change in the regulation since then?
I understand that was the position last year. The intention was that one could not collect cheques during the postal strike without written authorisation from the person concerned. I understand that members of the Deputy's party collected cheques from a Department without the authorisation of the persons involved and that these people subsequently objected to the fact that a Fine Gael representative presented them with a cheque that they had not made any representations about.
Give the details.
(Interruptions.)
I will give the details privately.
We are getting into a debate on this question.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I did not ask that question, but I can understand the Minister answering it. Will the Minister accept that my experience, when I wanted to collect headage grants for unfortunate people who were deprived because of the postal strike, was that I could not get those cheques without their written authority? That was quite right, and I am not complaining about it. But I want to know if the position has changed since then and are cheques now being handed out to other people without the authority of the person involved?
No. Cheques are only handed out on written request from the people concerned. If the Deputy wants he can have details of the cases I have referred to. But let us be clear on this. One can try to make a major issue out of something that has been the practice for a long time. There has been no change here. The only change was that certain Deputies collected cheques without request from the people to whom they were directed. These people subsequently protested.
(Interruptions.)
A final supplementary from Deputy Fitzpatrick. We have about 200 questions.
(Interruptions.)
(Cavan-Monaghan): Has there been any change in the regulation? From another question on the Order Paper it is obvious that there have been changes in other places when Ministers are now notifying wholesale other Ministers who did not make any representations on behalf of people. They are sending out letters giving the impression that they got this, that and the other thing done for them.
The Deputy is making statements.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Fitzpatrick has widened the scope, but the question relates to cheques being handed out at functions. That has happened from time to time under various administrations, including the Government of which Deputy Fitzpatrick was a member, and it was publicly reported. When matters are publicly reported it shows that nobody is trying to avoid anything.
(Interruptions.)
(Cavan-Monaghan): There are 15 Ministers of State now and they seem to be doing nothing else.
It seems to be occupational therapy now.
Would the Minister arrange that, irrespective of who delivers them, the cheques of old age pensioners, widows and other social welfare recipients are delivered, as they have been waiting for months?
That is a separate question.
It is not a question; it is an answer, and Deputy Cluskey thought of it rather late in the day.
Questions No. 15 and 16 have gone for written reply. Question No. 17.