asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state why the bulletin published by his Department on 12th November, 1951, only mentioned his own speech and that of the Minister for Education at the Ulster Gaelic Executive Jubilee, and why the name of no other speaker was mentioned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Extxernal Affairs Bulletin.
It has been customary to publish in the bulletin extracts from ministerial speeches dealing with important matters of policy. This was the reason for publishing extracts of the speeches made by the Minister for Education and myself in regard to the Irish language at the Comhaltas Uladh Jubilee. Unfortunately, the other speeches were not reported at sufficient length to enable extracts to be made from them by the editorial staff, which would be interesting to readers abroad.
Is it not a fact that prior to the change of Government extracts from speeches of members of the Opposition were frequently published in this bulletin and that extracts made by Deputy de Valera, as he then was, were also frequently published?
They were the only ones worth publishing.
I am very glad of the interruption. Does not the Minister think that the fact that there were there, in addition to his colleague and himself, His Grace the Archbishop of Armagh, the President of the Gaelic League, the Chairman of Connradh na Gaelige, the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, the Professor of Modern Irish in University College, Dublin, and the President of Fine Gael, who was a former Minister for Education, that at least some notice might have been taken of their presence and their remarks unless he wished to make this a political bulletin?
I regret to say I have not yet had time to alter any of the instructions given to the editorial staff by my predecessor.
Does the Minister say that it took him five months to reach on a small little matter of politics like that?