asked the Minister for Education if he will state the number of public notices issued to date by his Department in connection with the teachers' strike, and if he will state the total cost of these notices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Teachers' Strike.
As none of the public notices published by my Department since the strike of teachers in national schools in the Dublin City area began made any reference whatsoever to the strike, I assume the Deputy intends to refer to those notices, five in number, which gave particulars of the new scales of salary and other grants which had been offered to the teachers and which were published in the Dublin daily and evening papers and in one other paper. The accounts for these advertisements have not yet been presented but I understand that the total cost will be about £650.
I should like to add that, while not in any way subscribing to the implication that a Department of State has not the fullest right to publish, by way of advertisement in the Press, information which the Minister in charge considers should be made known in the public interest, recourse to this method was only had in the present instance when it became clear that, because of other demands on their available space, there could be no guarantee that the newspapers would publish these notices in their entirety as news items.
In the event of this strike lasting for a long period, is it the intention of the Minister, in the interests of economy, to discontinue advertising at this rate, which has cost the ratepayers something in the nature of £600? What guarantee have we that that sum will not be increased if the strike continues? Does the Minister not consider that his statement in the Dáil on the question of teachers' salaries was sufficient without using the funds of his Department to that extent in connection with this matter?
I have to inform the Deputy that there is no guarantee whatever that there will not be further advertisements should I or the Government consider it necessary.
Mr. Corish
Could the Minister say what purpose these notices serve?
They serve the purpose of showing the Irish people the proposals which the Government made to the teachers and thereby enabling the people to make up their minds whether or not these proposals were fair and reasonable.
Does the Minister consider that the cost is justified?
Certainly, and I consider it would be worth a great deal more than the cost of the advertisements.