asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether particulars of estates filed with the Estate Duty Office are furnished to his Department; and, if not, if any information is furnished by that Office regarding the assets of deceased persons.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Assets of Deceased Persons.
9.
I should like to refer the Deputy to the reply given on 10th February last to his previous Question on this subject, in which he was informed that limited information, available to the public in the Probate Registries, is furnished to my Department in relation to the estates of deceased persons.
I must ask the Parliamentary Secretary does he know what is going on in his Department? I cannot ask him if he is giving deliberately misleading information because I would not be allowed but I can tell him that the information is furnished by the Estate Duty Office and I do not care how often he repeats the contrary. I know what I say is true.
Of course it is true.
The limited information which the Parliamentary Secretary said is available to the public is available on the payment of a small prescribed fee. Is that fee paid by the officers of the Department when they are scrutinising the books?
But this information is sent direct by the Estate Duty Office to the Parliamentary Secretary's Department.
Details of the estates of deceased persons are obtainable at the appropriate Probate Registries from the schedule of assets which is open to investigation by any member of the public.
That is not the question I asked the Parliamentary Secretary.
Do the Parliamentary Secretary's officers have to pay——
Interruptions.
Order!
It is a small fee.