asked the Taoiseach if he will indicate the names of Ministers or Ministers of State who have not yet vacated positions on local authorities; and the action he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of Local Authorities.
1.
The Minister for Labour is the only member of the Government who has not yet vacated his position on a local authority.
The following Ministers of State are members of local authorities: Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Defence, Deputy Vincent Brady; Minister of State at the Department of Energy, Deputy Michael Smith; Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Deputy Joe Walsh; Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce, Deputy Seán MacCarthy; Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Máire Geoghegan-Quinn; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Deputy Ger Connolly; Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Terry Leyden; Minister of State at the Department of the Marine, Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher; Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Transport, Deputy Denis Lyons; Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Frank Fahey and Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Noel Treacy.
As I informed the House on a number of occasions, the general principle is that Ministers and Ministers of State should, as soon as conveniently possible after appointment, resign from membership of any local authority to which they belong, unless only a short time remains of their term of office or other special considerations are involved. This principle continues to apply.
I am satisfied that membership of local authorities is not interfering in any way with the effective and efficient discharge of the duties of the Minister or the Ministers of State concerned.
First of all, I would like to say that I was rather surprised at the long list which the Taoiseach has just read out. I do not think any Minister or Minister of State has resigned since we discussed this matter some three or four months ago. The Taoiseach has informed us that Ministers should resign as soon as it is conveniently possible for them to do so, unless only a short time remains of their term of office. Is it because there may be only a short term of office left that the Taoiseach is not insisting on them doing so? By virtue of having taken no action since this question was asked previously, is the Taoiseach now giving his approval to his Minister for Labour to stay on as a member of a local corporation and to his Ministers of State on the list he read out — in fact it would be difficult to find one who is not on that list — to stay on? Is the Taoiseach approving of this conduct at this stage and can we now forget the precedent which existed in the House heretofore?
The Minister for Labour is in the process of resigning from the local authority. In regard to the Ministers of State, I find myself somewhat in the same position as Deputy Spring found himself when he was Tánaiste of urging Ministers of State to make suitable arrangements at the earliest possible moment to secure replacements and resign from local authorities, but the Deputy will understand exactly how I feel.
I will never understand how the Taoiseach feels but in keeping with his recent acclaim by the business sector in terms of his popularity surely this is not consistent with his rating behind the Minister for Finance in the popularity stakes.
Do not be stirring up trouble now.
I do not want to have to ask this question again in six months time, but I will do so if the Taoiseach does not take any action. Will the Taoiseach insist that the Ministers of State, all of whom were appointed to their offices with a lot of razzmatazz, will now apply themselves and their energies full time to their offices as Ministers of State and not to the local authorities? I am sure there are plenty of people in the Fianna Fáil Party available to replace them at local level.
I will keep up my efforts in this regard and I hope to have more success than Deputy Spring had with Deputy Moynihan in his time.