The next item on the agenda refers to the disposal of the existing arrears. This is something which is a cause of great concern to all our members. I have to give the staggering information that up to December there were 473 drafts of directives etc. received. As a committee we are seriously behind in our work. We are making some progress. The Minister has now sanctioned a principal officer for us. We have also the full complement of staff in the Library.
The Library side of our business is satisfactory for the present. We are still totally inadequately serviced by secretarial staff. We have had a visit from representatives of the Department of the Public Service, which is the new Department with the Minister for Finance at its head. This Department is responsible for all staffing matters in the public service. They have already begun a work study of the committee and their operations and they hope to have that study completed within three weeks and to report to the Minister. We are affording the representatives of the Public Service Department our full co-operation and giving them every assistance we can in enabling them to come to a decision as to what staff in their opinion the committee needs. It is also clear that the question of civil servants attending on the committee is very important. It is now in order for the staff of the different Departments concerned to attend on our committee and be of whatever assistance they can. The point about that is that they can attend if they are available.