asked the Minister for Finance if he will state (a) the total cost and (b) the average cost per question of replying to Parliamentary questions from the beginning of the present Dáil session for the first four weekly sittings; and, if he cannot give the exact cost, he will give the approximate total cost and the approximate average cost per question for the same period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Parliamentary Question.
55.
The calculation, with any degree of accuracy, of the cost of replying to Parliamentary questions would require an elaborate system of recording and costing the various expenses incurred from the time the questions are submitted to the appearance of the replies in printed form. Such a system is not in operation and it would be impossible to apply it at this stage to the 1,247 questions which were replied to in the first four weeks of the current session.
In regard to the last part of the question, I am not in a position to give even an approximation in view of the number and variety of the questions involved.
Will the Minister not admit that there must be a certain amount of incompetence in his Department if he is unable to give even an approximate reply as to the cost of even one month's Parliamentary questions and answers considering that other Parliaments are able to do so? I put down my question at 3 p.m. on Wednesday 19th November, and the special correspondent of the Irish Independent was able that night to give all the questions asked last year and their approximate cost, which worked out at £20 per question. I want this information because——
The Deputy may not make a speech.
I am not making a speech but I hold one could answer most of these questions by a simple telephone call. I can see all I could do in my constituency for housing——
Has the Deputy a question?
(Interruptions.)
——a lot of the £100,000 could be put to good use. However, I will let the Minister reply.
Why did the Deputy not let the Minister for Finance answer?
My Minister will not answer me. However, there will be a third round. This is only the second round and I will be back again on the Estimate for the Department of Finance.
Is the Minister aware of any abuse of the Parliamentary question by a particular Deputy in the present Dáil?
Yes.
In reply to Deputy Kitt, I would not be in a position to guarantee that the last vestige of incompetence has been eliminated from the Department of Finance, but it practically has. I do not think any Parliament anywhere could give or attempt to give an accurate answer to a question of this sort. In the past few weeks I have been watching some questions which come before me, to some of which I can give an immediate reply—that the answer is in the negative as a rule— while on other questions which come up a great deal of research is involved by my Department even to the extent of going to semi-State bodies for information. To my mind it would be an impossible task to attempt to estimate the cost of Parliamentary questions in the way the Deputy suggests. Anybody purporting to do so is not really speaking on the basis of experience. I would suggest to the Deputy that a useful and beneficial Parliamentary question is well worth the cost no matter what the cost is.
Give him some applause.
I also want to say that whether or not there have been a great deal of questions from time to time which were not of any particular value would not be a matter for me but something for you, a Cheann Comhairle, or, perhaps, the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Surely the merit of the question is to be judged by the people who send their representatives here?
On the last occasion I said that I was not denying the right of anybody to ask a question. I am about the only Deputy——
Has the Deputy a question to ask?
——who got land divided and given to the people to whom it should have been given by means of a Parliamentary question.
Question No. 56.
I want to know what it is going to cost.
The Deputy must agree that the questions are more useful than the answers.
On a point of order, Sir, you will agree that there is an effort being made to stamp out the Parliamentary question and this is part of the campaign and this question was prompted to the Deputy by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach?
(Interruptions.)
I deny that categorically.
This is a gimmick reply.
According to the Deputy, it was prompted by the Irish Independent.
(Interruptions.)