Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2015
516. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the protocols in place since March 2011 to set standards in parliamentary replies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23495/15]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that I and my Department take very seriously the obligations to ensure that all Parliamentary Questions are appropriately responded to. This includes adherence to deadlines set by the Oireachtas for both oral and written Parliamentary Questions.
Parliamentary Questions are circulated to relevant Departmental Units and generally approved at the level of Unit Principal Officer. Ultimately, they make their way via the Department’s Secretary General to myself. While there are no official protocols in place to set standards, guidance is available to staff which addresses issues of timeliness and quality of draft responses. In fulfilling my remit as Minister I aim to ensure that the detail included in responses to Deputies is succinct and pertinent to the issue being discussed. In the context of oral PQs, any Deputy is free to pose additional questions and I endeavour to respond on the day to those additional questions. In cases where I do not possess the details sought, I undertake to send a written response to the Deputy as soon as possible following the PQ session.
Good relationships have been built up with the Questions Office in Leinster House. Where guidance or notifications of changes in practice issue from the Oireachtas to my Department, the staff of the office of the Secretary General circulate same without delay. The Secretary General’s office is also available to advise officials preparing responses to questions, should any issues arise.
