Vol. 516 No. 6
256 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the sale price of the Official Reports of the Dáil and Seanad (Parliamentary Debates) was increased from £2 to £5 per copy from January 2000; his views on whether this price increase of 150% is acceptable and will discourage members of the public from reading the proceedings of the Dáil and Seanad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8972/00]
I am aware that a decision was taken by the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas in consultation with the Government Supplies Agency to increase the sale price of the Official Reports of the Dáil and Seanad, Parliamentary Debates, from £2 to £5 from 1 January last. The decision was taken as part of an ongoing review by the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas into printing costs and the increase will go some way towards recovering some of the increased costs. In practice, few members of the general public purchase printed copies. Since the Official Reports are now available free on the Internet, I consider that, overall, there is easier public access than before.
