Vol. 421 No. 4
309 Mr. V. Brady asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the number of parliamentary questions tabled to him for the year 1991 and the total cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A total of 4,172 parliamentary questions was received in my Department during 1991. Of these, 3,363 (80 per cent) were withdrawn by the Deputies and 809 were answered. The bulk of the 3,363 questions withdrawn related to problems that claimants were experiencing which could be resolved immediately or where the problem had already been resolved. In these cases a letter confirming the position was issued to the Deputy.
In relation to cost it is not possible in the time available to give the total cost involved in dealing with inquiries arising by way of parliamentary questions. The costs associated with answering a question can vary considerably depending on the nature of the inquiry and the level of detail that needs to be obtained from local offices of the Department around the country. The Minister for Finance, replying to a parliamentary question on 13 February 1992, gave the estimated cost of answering a parliamentary question to be about £64.
