Bertie Ahern
Question:8 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if Government Buildings remain open to the public for tours on Saturdays; and if so, the number of visitors to date in 1996. [9798/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Buildings Tours.
Saturday tours of Government Buildings which have operated since 1992 have been temporarily suspended since early March due to industrial action by one of the Civil Service unions. The number of visitors in 1996 to early March was 565. I am confident that it will be possible to resume tours in the near future in the context of resolving outstanding issues with the CPSU.
Members of the public were complaining because they thought the Taoiseach had locked the gates of Government Buildings on Saturday mornings as part of his policy of openness, transparency and accountability. Can I take it that within the Framework Document mentioned earlier by the Taoiseach, tours of Government Buildings will commence this Saturday?
They will commence soon; I do not intend to specify the date. Now that the difficulties have been overcome, which I welcome and which I invite the Deputies opposite to welcome, we expect that the tours will resume.
In the meantime the Taoiseach could bring visitors around Government Buildings.
It is unfortunate the Taoiseach cannot allow tourists to visit Government Buildings. It is an indication of the state of industrial relations in this country.
I will bring Deputy Ahern in to see John Redmond's picture.
Will the Taoiseach tell me if he has found a Mr. Paul Burton, who has been seconded from an inner city school to work in his Department, in Government Buildings of late? Will he indicate where this person is employed and what is his function?
What has this to do with public tours?
It concerns the Department of the Taoiseach.
He has gone missing.
I hope the Deputy is not travelling down the wrong road.
Perhaps the Taoiseach will clarify the matter for me. Will he tell me if Mr. Paul Burton is working in the Department of the Taoiseach? It is a matter of public interest.
That is a question for the Minister for Justice. It is a missing persons question.
Let us not personalise matters.
We read in this morning's papers that this man is being paid by the Department and, apparently, he has been seconded from the Department of Education to the Department of the Taoiseach. Can we have confirmation of that?
I fail to see what that has to do with this question.
This is not Deputy Harney's best day.
I am proceeding to deal with priority questions.
Can we have confirmation of what I said?
Priority questions, to which a time limit applies, are to the Minister for Justice.