asked the Minister for Local Government whether on Monday, November 8th last, he was present in Naas at a conference which included members of the Kildare County Council and other public bodies, together with officials of these local authorities and members of the general public; whether on this occasion he made an attack upon the county manager of Carlow and Kildare, alleging that the bad housing conditions in County Kildare were due to neglect of his duties by the official in question, and that he could not be found on several occasions when he was wanted; whether this attack on the county manager evoked protests from the numerous public representatives present, and whether the Minister requested the representatives of the Press who were present not to publish his statements; and, further, what reparation he proposes to make to the manager for the grave wrong which he has done him, and whether, in particular, he will now withdraw the allegations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Manager of Carlow and Kildare.
Mr. Murphy
I was present at a housing conference in Naas on the occasion indicated in the question, but I made no "attack" on the county manager. I said that I had received complaints as to delays in the expeditious selection and purchase of sites and the carrying out of various other urgent items of business incidental to the preparation of the new housing programme in the county for which it was alleged the county manager might be held responsible. Deputy Harris (who presided over the conference) and other public representatives intervened to state that they had no knowledge of the circumstances to which I alluded, and I replied that I had deemed it essential to mention the position as represented to me, as it could have been an important factor in the slow rate of progress displayed by the county council in resuming the housing drive which they had so creditably maintained up to 1939 and to some extent during the emergency.
These housing conferences are devoted to informal discussions with the local representatives and local officers. I am not aware that members of the general public were present at the Naas conference.
The representatives of the Press are accorded admission to the conferences, but they are relied on to use discretion as to the extent to which the proceedings should be reported. I was most careful to ask the Press representatives at Naas to treat my remarks on that occasion as confidential and they willingly complied with my request.
I made no allegation against the county manager and the question of withdrawal does not, therefore, arise.
Does the Minister state that several members who were present at the conference did not protest against his unfair attack on the county manager? Even members of his own Party stood up and protested and why was it that, after that, he asked the Press not to publish this statement?
Mr. Murphy
I have already stated I have made no attack on the county manager. I mentioned certain matters that have been indicated in the course of my reply. I would be very sorry if statements of mine at a conference of this kind would be regarded as an attack on any official. I am not concerned with the personality of officials. I am concerned purely with the official side of their work. It was in that spirit that I attended the conference and it was in that spirit that discussions have taken place at all conferences of the kind.
Will the Minister deny that one member of the county council present, a Labour Deputy, described there the Minister's statement and attack as back-stabbing the county manager in his absence?
Was the Deputy not in the Chair? What was he doing if he allowed that to go on?
Mr. Murphy
So far as I know, the only Labour Deputy present took no part whatever in the proceedings.
The Minister states that his remarks at this conference were based on complaints made to him. Did he investigate these complaints before he made the remarks complained of?
Mr. Murphy
I have already made perfectly clear what took place at the conference. I called attention to certain things in Kildare, as I called attention to things in various other counties. There was no question of personal animosity to anybody. I should be very sorry to think that anything I said could be regarded as bearing that implication.
No person suggests that the Minister was animated by animosity. I think, however, that the Minister will agree that it is extraordinary that if the proceedings at other conferences had been open to the public and available to the Press he felt called upon in this instance to ask the Press not to publish his remarks.
Mr. Murphy
On a number of previous occasions I asked the Press to exercise a similar discretion, and I am extremely glad to be able to say that I was always accorded that courtesy there as well as elsewhere.