asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the delay in providing proper stationery provisions to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas; and when an adequate supply of stationery will be available, i.e., folders, filing cards, sellotape.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Members' Stationery Supply.
14.
Stocks of folders and filing or index cards are now available to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. There was a temporary delay in the supply of folders of a particular colour and filing cards of a particular size due to a heavy demand recently which depleted stocks of the items in question. As regards sellotape, stocks of certain roll-sizes are available, and stocks of other roll-sizes are on order and will be available very shortly. I am not aware of problems regarding the supply of any other items of stationery to Members of either House.
What cutback has there been in the Estimates for the supply of stationery to Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas? In my 20 years as a Member of this House since the present Government came into power——
We cannot have a speech on it. A supplementary question, please.
It is impossible to get files and I was not asking for any particular type or colour of files. They are not available in any colour.
My information is that buff and orange coloured folders are available but green coloured folders — which must be the type that Deputy Allen wants — are not available. That is the problem.
(Interruptions.)
Ceist 15.
I think, Sir, with due respect to you, that I should be allowed to answer the question posed to me by Deputy Allen before you call other Deputies to put further questions.
I thought you were finished with that question, Minister.
I was not finished, Sir, I was in mid-sentence. I was about to lead up to the next point that I wish to bring to Deputy Allen's attention which is the fact that the provision in the 1981 Estimate by the Government of which he was a member for the Stationery Office was inadequate to the extent of more than £.5 million. That additional money — £507,000 to be precise — will have to be provided now by the present Government so that Deputy Allen and other Deputies and other people who use the services of the Stationery Office will have enough paper.
Will the Minister for Finance give a clear undertaking now that materials will be available? I appreciate the levity in the House when you talk about folders, pencils and cards, but it has been a very serious problem. They have been rationed over a number of weeks lately. I would like the Minister to say quite clearly that any Deputy who goes to look for materials for the normal work which he is undertaking will not be rationed currently. Even as recently as yesterday, irrespective of colours or kinds of folders, these were still rationed to this House. That is not a funny matter when you are in Government with all the resources on your side of the House and you are starving the Opposition of resources——
The Deputy is making a statement.
Will the Minister give a clear undertaking?
I would be happy to have details from Deputy Woods or any other Deputy, and I say this in all seriousness, in respect of any items which are deficient. The House will appreciate that probably there was a rather larger than usual utilisation of these stocks of stationery due to matters in respect of which the Stationery Office could not have made an intelligent prediction in the months of May and June of this year and it may have depleted stocks somewhat. However, if Deputy Woods and Deputy Allen have problems in respect of any item I will be happy to deal with them immediately.
(Interruptions.)
Ceist 16.
This is a most important matter.
I am not allowing it.
I am not accepting it.
You will have to accept my ruling.
I asked one supplementary.
You asked two supplementaries. You are now being disorderly, Deputy.
I am not.
I will have to ask you to sit down. You are being disorderly. We do not want to abuse the House with this kind of talk.