Bernard J. Durkan
Question:5 Mr. Durkan asked the Taoiseach whether the public tours of Government Buildings are to continue; if the office of the Tánaiste will be included on the itinerary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Buildings Tours.
The tours of Government Buildings will continue on the basis announced by me last year. The office of the Minister of State in charge of the Office of the Tánaiste, which is located in Government Buildings, will be included in the itinerary.
Will the public be given a full tour of the Tánaiste office given that the office itself is costing £70,000, that there is office equipment — whatever that means — there in the region of £100,000 and that £450,000 is to be spent on wages and salaries? I just wondered if the occupant of the office will be there to bring the public on a tour given the strapped financial state of the country at present and given the extraordinary expenditure incurred on this office.
First of all the Deputy should make himself aware of what is the true cost, that most of the staff there are coming from within the Civil Service and consequently are already being paid for out of other payrolls but are being divided into a subhead in relation to the Tánaiste's office. Of course, I know Deputy Durkan, like his colleagues opposite love to misrepresent and give the maximum hype to any situation. However, I would advise Deputy Durkan and others that the tours are very successful. The public have shown a deep interest, as evidenced by the numbers who have turned up every Saturday since last June when the practice was introduced — another aspect of open Government.
Have the public expressed any surprise on seeing the considerable cost of an Office which has obviously been manufactured? Can the Taoiseach explain, too, whether the cost of £65,000 for travel has been built in? Does that represent a recurring cost in the Department, is it a new cost or is it part of the costs to which the Taoiseach referred in his earlier reply?
That is a lot of extraneous matter.
The Deputy may take it that part of the cost to which he refers represents costs transferred from other Departments. There was an allocation of costs across different Departments. If the Deputy is so interested in the tour, perhaps he might come in on Saturday morning and participate in it. He would then be in a better position to make judgments on it. If he would like a job at the weekend as a courier on the tour, his application could be considered.
Which Government Deputy is on morning coffee duty this week?
(Limerick East): Deputy Durkan is not related to anybody.
(Interruptions.)