With reference to the reply to Question 17, the Minister for Defence has arranged to submit the answer in the official report. My desire is to ask whether he will arrange to submit the answer before the official report is issued. The official report may not be in hands for several days.
OFFICIAL DEBATES.
The Deputy will have it this evening.
I am rather thinking of the general desire of the Deputies, and not merely of the Deputy who asked the question.
If the Dáil desires it, I can have it circulated to all the members.
Deputy Johnson will have it himself this evening.
Does not that raise a new point about the delay in the issuing of the official debates? For instance, the debates of the official report for Tuesday of last week did not reach us until Monday of this week, practically six days. That is too long. We should have the official debates within 24 hours.
I am not quite clear that the debates did not reach the Deputies until Monday morning.
That is quite correct, I think.
That is a special case. We have not undertaken to have the official debates ready within 24 hours. That is a question for the consideration of the Dáil. It certainly can be done, at a certain cost, much more rapidly than at present.
It has been decided, as regards Question 17, that the answer will be circulated this evening.
I will undertake that the Deputy will have it within half an hour.
My desire will be satisfied if we can have the return in the time that we would normally have the official report—that is to say, to-morrow evening.
Certainly you will have it. I will get it circulated to the Deputies.
To all Deputies?
Yes.