asked the Minister for Finance what action it is proposed to adopt on any of the recommendations of the Report of the Public Services Organisations Review Group; and when action is expected to be taken.
44.
Ceisteann—Questions. Oral Answers. - Devlin Report.
43.
asked the Minister for Finance if he has any statement to make to the Dáil on the Devlin Report.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together. As announced on the publication of the report and as indicated in reply to recent questions, the recommendations, many of which have far reaching implications, are being examined in the Departments concerned and Government decisions will be announced in due course.
When the Minister states it will be announced in due course, does he mean it will be announced in this House or at some Fianna Fáil dinner? Is the Minister aware that this is of the utmost importance and that this report speaks of co-operation and co-ordination between Departments? The time has come when Fianna Fáil Ministers should take the Opposition parties into their confidence in this House so that we will have a little more co-operation and more important statements made inside this House instead of outside it. I should like the Minister to assure the House that this statement will be made first in this House.
I think there will be quite a number of statements made about this matter from time to time because it is a very far-reaching and fundamental subject. Of course, it is the aim of the Government at all times to make important announcements in this House but I can understand the feeling that Deputy L'Estrange may have of being deprived when he cannot attend Fianna Fáil functions and hear the valuable words of wisdom spoken there.
I am quite satisfied with what I have to attend.
The Minister enjoys a justifiable reputation for the firm way he controls the Civil Service. I wonder could he elaborate on the well-known Civil Service phrase "in due course?" It seems to us on this side of the House that no matter what questions we ask about the Buchanan Report, the Devlin Report, the Todd Report and one hundred and one other reports the phrase "in due course", whatever that means, seems to hang over the point which we are to have explained to us when major social decisions are to be taken by the Government in the light of these reports. As a student of the Civil Service, I have often wondered what the phrase "in due course" means in specific terms.
It is a phrase that is used when you cannot use anything more specific.
Does it mean at the most opportune time for Fianna Fáil?
Yes.
Very often. They will not deny that.
I would emphasise that this is possibly one of the most important documents that have come before the Government and Parliament for a long time and the suggestions put forward by the Devlin Commission are very far-reaching and fundamental. It would be very unwise for any of us to rush in with proposals arising out of the report without testing them very carefully.
Can the Minister guarantee that when the report gets into the machine it will not be killed?
This noise sounds like Deputy Lenihan having remorse of conscience.
I think it is probably a hidden microphone.
Could the Minister explain why the Minister for Lands himself said this morning that he wishes to be taken as redundant and fully accepts——
I did not say that.
(Interruptions.)
Is it true that the Government intend to issue a statement on this report within the next two weeks?
There is no question of announcing anything in the nature of a decision within the next two weeks.
I do not think we shall ever come to it.