asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of the practice in Government Departments when acknowledging communications addressed to them of referring correspondents to sections and sub-sections of statutes without indicating the provisions of these sections and sub-sections; whether he is aware that in most cases these correspondents have not available copies of statutes to which they could refer to ascertain the effect of the departmental reply, and whether in the circumstances he will cause an Order to issue that in framing these replies the effect of the relevant section of the statute should be set out for the information of correspondents.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental Replies.
It is a practice of long standing for Government Departments to refer correspondents to sections and sub-sections of statutes in appropriate cases. Copies of Acts of the Oireachtas may be obtained, on application, from the Government Publications Sale Office, 5 Nassau Street, Dublin, on payment of a small sum. In the circumstances, I do not propose to modify the existing practice.