asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will report to the House on the Ombudsman's remit; and if the Government intend to take any meaningful action on his 1984 report.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Remit of Ombudsman.
23.
The Ombudsman's remit covers any administrative action taken by or on behalf of the Government Departments, associated offices, the health boards, local authorities, Bord Telecom Éireann and An Post. The last four areas were added when his remit was extended on 1 April 1985.
The Ombudsman's report for 1984 is included on the Order Paper of the House for debate within the next few weeks. The debate will provide an opportunity for a full discussion on its content and I will be happy, at that stage, to elaborate on the action taken on its recommendations.
I hope the Minister will still be Minister for the Public Service then.
I should like to thank the Deputy for his kind sentiments.
A Minister for Finance has more problems. There has been substantial agreement between the Minister and me on the good work of the Ombudsman. The 1985 report will be issued within a few months but, to the best of my knowledge, none of the Minister's colleagues have taken any action on the recommendations in the 1984 report. Is that correct.
No. I dealt with a similar question in the House some time ago. Two of the anomalies have already been remedied. Three are of direct concern to the Minister for Social Welfare and are under examination in that Department. A Bill, being sponsored by the Minister for Justice to amend the law of domicile, is currently awaiting Second Stage in the Dáil. The Minister for Finance is examining the Exchequer implications in relation to delayed payments and legislation is being prepared by the Minister for the Environment which will include provision to enable local authorities to deal with the type of cases the Ombudsman referred to as antiquated law. The two anomalies that have already been remedied were dealt with by section 4 of last year's Finance Act which removed the tax anomaly which deprived some single parents of the single parent tax allowance. In relation to the anomaly concerning the valuation of property, the dates have been changed to facilitate the appeals procedure and a circular was issued by the Department of the Environment to each rating authority requesting them to notify individually occupiers of property affected by revaluations. There has been some progress.
Will the Minister use his good offices in regard to a Social Welfare Bill which will be introduced in the House shortly? The main anomaly the Ombudsman found in 1984 related to people who went out of the voluntary social welfare scheme in 1983. Will the Minister try to have that amended?
That is one of the three matters arising from the Ombudsman's report which the Minister for Health and Social Welfare will be discussing in the next few days in the context of the Bill.
Perhaps the Minister would raise the matter at the Cabinet table.
What happens at the Cabinet table is confidential to the Cabinet so it would not be appropriate for me to comment in that regard.
Does it always remain so?