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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Dec 1970

Vol. 250 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Official Christmas Cards.

60.

asked the Minister for Finance the number of Christmas cards provided in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970 for (a) himself and (b) his Parliamentary Secretary; and the total cost in each case for each year.

I propose with your permission a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate the information requested by the Deputy in the form of a tabular statement with the Official Report.

Following is the information requested:—

Minister for Finance

Year

Number provided

Cost

£

s.

d.

1966

1,000

£40

12

6

1967

1,000

86

12

0

1968

1,000

41

12

6

1969

1,000

66

12

0

1970*

1,988

111

8

3

*Details of cards issued by the Minister for the Gaeltacht are included with the returns for the Minister for Lands in the years 1966, 1967 and 1968, with those of the Minister for Industry and Commerce in 1969 and with those of the Minister for Finance in the current year.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.

Year

Number provided

Cost

£

s.

d.

1966

600

27

0

8

1967

600

22

1

9

1968

600

36

12

10

1969

500

52

10

0

1970

600

28

5

0

61.

asked the Minister for Finance if in estimating the cost of Christmas cards and greetings he includes (a) envelopes and (b) estimated Civil Service time.

The cost of Christmas cards includes the cost of envelopes. It does not, however, include the cost of Civil Service time as work relating to the cards is integrated with the normal work of the staff involved.

It is not possible to estimate this with any accuracy but the amount would be small.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary mean they have nothing better to do?

That is a separate question.

What does "normal time" mean?

I can speak only on behalf of my own staff in the Office of Public Works and, if the work exceeds the time available, they are willing to work that time without extra pay.

The Parliamentary Secretary means they do it as overtime outside of office hours.

I do not mean that at all. The staff are fully occupied and this does not interfere with their normal duties.

We have had a series of contradictory statements from the Parliamentary Secretary. They have no spare time and they have more work to do than there is time for and they do not mind doing it. When do they do the work? What work does it displace?

You cannot itemise exactly what minutes the typists——

Will they be treated in the same way as the staff of this House were treated on the occasion of the long debate? Will they be required to work and not be paid?

I understand that that is not the case.

It was a rotten trick to play on the staff of this House.

I can assure the House that the staff of this House who worked overtime were paid a generous gratuity.

They got no pay for it. It was a mean trick.

There was no obligation to give them pay but they were paid.

They were not.

They were.

I shall give details to the Parliamentary Secretary of those who were not paid.

62.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider that in present economic circumstances some reasonable limit should be imposed on the issue at the public expense of Christmas cards and other forms of greetings etc. from the Offices of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries.

63.

asked the Minister for Finance if, in the interest of economy, he will direct that in future expenditure on Christmas cards by Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries be kept to a minimum.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together.

I am satisfied that the cost of sending out official Christmas cards by Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries is, in general, kept at a reasonable level. I propose, however, to keep the present practice under review.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that, at a time when we are being admonished to restrain ourselves in our expenditure and to be responsible, it was utterly disgraceful that one Parliamentary Secretary, Deputy Jackie Fahey, should so abuse his privilege and the public purse as to send out 27,000 Christmas cards at a price not of £600, as was stated in this House, but nearer to £2,000 when one has regard to all the costs involved? Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance or the Government take steps to curb such utter irresponsibility in dealing with the taxpayers' money——

And surcharge the people concerned.

——because they are wasteful and extravagant.

It is an important part of the duties of a Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary to send official greeting cards to appropriate persons——

One Parliamentary Secretary sent out 25,000 Christmas cards——

In my own case, as Parliamentary Secretary, I never send Christmas cards at State expense to personal friends but only to people with whom I have contact in my official capacity. There is a question further down on the Order Paper which is addressed to——

Does that include telegrams?

That is a separate question.

It does not include telegrams. The Parliamentary Secretary sends them from his office.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary justify what Deputy Fahey has done in this instance in sending Christmas cards all over his constituency if it was done at public expense?

Order, please.

Look at the question further down on the Order Paper.

Deputy Fahey was appointed Parliamentary Secretary only recently but he has sent out ten times more Christmas cards than any Minister or Parliamentary Secretary.

It is completely and absolutely untrue that I have sent Christmas cards all over my constituency——

The figures were given the other day. It was said that you were well able to look after yourselves.

I gather that Deputies opposite do not want to get on with the Adjournment Debate.

I am calling the next question.

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