asked the Minister for Education the reasons a query by a Deputy to one of the branches of his Department was not answered by the civil servant concerned; why the Deputy was referred to his office in regard to his representations; if he agrees with this policy; if he feels that Deputies' rights are infringed by this procedure; and if he intends to change the procedure.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Deputies' Representations .
36.
: I would refer the Deputy to my reply on 28 May 1980 to questions 34, 35 and 36 in the Official Report, Volume 321 column 917, where I stated that the normal procedure is that letters or representations in any other form, from Dáil Deputies, in their capacity as such, are, in general, replied to from the office of the Minister of State or of the Minister for Education, irrespective of whether they have been addressed to the Department or to the Ministers.
This practice has obtained since before the date on which I assumed office as Minister for Education. I was, however, satisfied that it was the most appropriate practice to adopt in all the circumstances. I do not consider that the rights of Deputies are infringed by the procedure and I do not propose to change it.
: Does the Minister not think that Deputies have a right to seek information from senior civil servants in the various sections of his Department and would he not consider that a Deputy has a right to a direct answer when such an answer can be given from the section rather than that time and public money be wasted on having the query transferred to the Minister and a second attempt made to give the information?
: The Deputy will agree that the system that obtains at present is an efficient one and, as I have said, I have no intention of changing it.