asked the Taoiseach whether any members of the Government continue to be members of local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of Local Authorities.
1.
Further to my reply of 19 April last to the Deputy's previous question on this subject, I wish to state that the Tánaiste and Minister for the Environment has now resigned from Kerry County Council.
The position in relation to the Ministers for Labour and Justice remains unchanged. As I have already indicated to the House, I anticipate that both Ministers will resign their membership of the local authorities concerned within the time scale of precedents set by Fianna Fáil Governments.
Will the Taoiseach agree with me that it was highly inappropriate for the Minister for the Environment to have continued as Minister in that Department while, at the same time, he held on to his membership of a local authority? Is it the Taoiseach's opinion that there would have been a serious conflict of interest during that period and that it was highly inappropriate for the Minister to have continued as a member of the county council? Further, will he clarify for the House the wrong impression he sought to convey here on a previous occasion that I had continued as Minister for Local Government and as a member of Galway County Council? That was not true.
The answer to the first two questions is no. With regard to the last point, arising from a personal statement by the Deputy in this House when in reply to a supplementary question on 4 May last I referred to the continued local authority membership of the Deputy — Deputy Molloy raised the matter of membership of local authorities by Ministers of State — I was referring to the Deputy's more recent appointment as Minister for Defence, not to his appointment as Minister for Local Government and nothing in the context suggested otherwise.
The Taoiseach did not make that clear.
It was dishonest.
The record of that Government was, Deputy Molloy, ten months before resignation; Deputy Collins, six months; Deputy Wyse, eight months; Deputy Hussey, eight months; Deputy MacSharry, seven months and so on.
And Deputy Oliver Flanagan, of course.
With regard to this development concerning Kerry County Council, may we take it that this is confirming something which is widely stated in the kingdom these days, that Deputy Spring is going to seek a Dublin seat next time round and that he is going to put his brother on the Kerry County Council in the meantime?
That is a separate matter. I will allow a final supplementary question to Deputy Molloy.
Does the Taoiseach not consider it appropriate that some measures be introduced to ensure that in future a Minister for the Environment may not continue his membership of a local authority following his appointment to the Department?
There is an obvious difference.
(Interruptions.)
With regard to the resignation of Ministers, that period has tended to drift somewhat over the years. We do not intend to allow it to drift any further.
The Taoiseach applies very different standards.