Before I make this announcement I should like to assure the House that it is purely of a technical nature.
I beg leave to announce, for the information of the Dáil:
(1) that the Government, on 31 March 1987 made Orders:
(a) transferring to the Minister for the Marine and the Department of the Marine, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to the Marine — not including B & I — from the Minister for Communications and the Department of Communications;
(b) transferring to the Minister for Tourism and Transport and to the Department of Tourism and Transport, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to non-marine transport functions — but including B & I — from the Minister for Communications and the Department of Communications;
(c) transferring to the Minister for the Marine and to the Department of the Marine, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to Arramara Teoranta from the Minister for the Gaeltacht and the Department of the Gaeltacht;
(d) transferring to the Minister for Tourism and Transport and the Department of Tourism and Transport, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to the traffic development activities — tourism and aviation activities — of the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Ltd. from the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the Department of Industry and Commerce;
(e) transferring to the Minister for Tourism and Transport and to the Department of Tourism and Transport, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to tourism from the Minister for the Marine and the Department of the Marine;
(f) transferring to the Minister for Energy and to the Department of Energy, respectively, ministerial functions and departmental administration in relation to forestry and wildlife from the Minister for the Marine and the Department of the Marine; and
(g) altering the name and title of the Minister for Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, respectively, to Minister for Agriculture and Food and Department of Agriculture and Food;
(2) that, on 31 March 1987 in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section (4) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1946, I
(a) terminated the assignment of the Department of Tourism and Transport to Deputy Ray Mac-Sharry and assigned that Department to Deputy John P. Wilson with effect from that date; and
(b) terminated the assignment of the Department of Communications to Deputy John P. Wilson and assigned that Department to Deputy Ray Burke with effect from that date;
(3) that, on the same date, I accepted the resignations of Deputy Michael Smith and Deputy Denis Lyons from office as Ministers of State at the Department of the Marine; and
(4) that, on the same date, the Government appointed Deputy Michael Smith to be Minister of State at the Department of Energy, with special responsibility for forestry, and Deputy Denis Lyons to be Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Transport, with special responsibility for tourism.
I realise that these may sound a bit confusing. I am sure, Sir, that with your permission if any Member of the Dáil should wish to advert to them, discuss them or criticise them in any way it could be done during the budget debate perhaps.
