Vol. 243 No. 3
asked the Minister for External Affairs why No. 817 of the Bulletin for his Department of the 14th November contained only his speech; why no extracts from those leading for the Opposition were included; and if he will make a statement in the matter.
42.
asked the Minister for External Affairs how many copies of the Bulletin for his Department are printed for each issue; how they are distributed; and the total cost involved.
With your permission a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together. The bulletin of my Department is aimed primarily at an audience in foreign countries, and concentrates on explaining and advancing the objectives of Government policy. It is not part of its normal function to provide a report of Dáil proceedings, although extracts from speeches by Opposition leaders in the debate on Northern Ireland were for obvious reasons included in the previous Bulletin No. 816. Some 12,000 copies of the bulletin are printed for each issue. They are distributed by post to influential political circles, news media, various institutions, industrialists, etc., mainly abroad. The total annual cost of the bulletin, excluding the cost of staff time, is estimated at £6,500.
Does the Minister consider that a document of 14 pages in length is warranted in view of the fact that I requested the Taoiseach to make available for distribution in the North of Ireland copies of the debate relating to the discussion which took place here on the North of Ireland situation? At the time the Taoiseach said he did not share my view. I should like to know from the Minister if it is consistent with the policy of the Department of External Affairs to issue detailed speeches made by Ministers which I guess no one has read or has listened to?
A certain number of Deputies in this House listened, but I cannot explain the reason why certain Deputies were absent. The idea of putting in the Minister's speech is not a party political line; it is merely Government policy. We want to show other countries and other influential groups what our policy is. In view of the many views expressed by Opposition Deputies in the debate on the North of Ireland, I should like to know from the Deputy if he could tell me the size the bulletin would be if it were to contain all the speeches made by Opposition Deputies.
Does the Minister agree that it is necessary to republish a speech made by the Minister for External Affairs and circulate it at the cost he has just mentioned, when it is the attitude of the Government not to include speeches made by the Opposition? Does the Minister think that it serves a better purpose to spend money on reissuing his speech rather than the speeches made by members of the Opposition in the debate on the North of Ireland?
I think the Deputy should take a look at what parliamentary democracy is all about. A Government is formed by a majority of people.
You have 45 per cent; and that is not a majority.
What enters into it is Government policy and not what the Opposition have to say about it.
You gerrymandered the country.
If the Fine Gael Party could decide what speech would represent their attitude we would put it in
Order, order I am calling Question No. 43.
As rather inter esting information is published in this bulletin from time to time, would the Minister consider putting Deputies names on the mailing list?
Yes, I will do that. If the Fine Gael Party could get one policy we would put it out all over the world as the Fine Gael policy.
You would treat it with the same contempt as you treated the Facts About Ireland in which you omitted Michael Collins.
