asked the Minister for Education why his name must appear on every letter sent to Members of the Oireachtas regarding any inquiry they make to his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Correspondence with Department.
17.
In accordance with long established practice and procedure, letters to Members of the Oireachtas are signed by me personally or on my behalf by my private secretary.
I had this question down yesterday to the Minister for Labour. The Parliamentary Secretary may recollect there was a dispute when the parties were on opposite sides in this regard. Is he saying to me that the Secretary of his Department is not considered competent to answer a question or an inquiry from a Member of this House unless the Minister's name is put on the letter and it is signed by his private secretary? Surely the Minister should have enough confidence in the Secretary of his Department?
I do not think we should bring officials into this. The Minister or the Parliamentary Secretary are responsible and we ought not to bring officials into this matter.
I think that matter was gone into exhaustively on a previous occasion. I understand the procedure adopted in the Department of Education on this matter is quite normal.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the information he gave in reply to Question No. 17 refers only to letters and in the question the word "inquiry" is used, which would include letters and telephone calls? Would he agree that the information he has given is misleading in the context of the question because the regulation whereby all inquiries from Deputies are referred to the Minister's office and cannot be replied to by any official is a new one?
The Deputy is imparting information now rather than seeking it.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of these two things?
I am aware that the question asked if the Minister's name must appear on every letter sent to Members of the Oireachtas regarding an inquiry and that is the question I answered. I understand the Deputy to be referring to telephone calls now.
Question No. 18.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary say if the situation is that if any member of the public telephones the Department and in many cases gets an on the spot reply it is Gilbertian that a Deputy of this House cannot do the same thing? Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a teacher TD who rings in connection with any query he wants to ask in respect of his school or any personal matter gets a reply but if he rings as a TD he cannot get a reply in respect of the same query?
I understand the arrangements made in relation to TDs are designed to ensure that Members of the Oireachtas get, as is their due, authoritative answers which can be seen to be such.
The implication is that the Secretary's answer is not authoritative.
Question No. 18.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware——
We must get off this question.
I have a supplementary question to ask. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that I wrote to the Department in respect of a matter last May and did not receive a reply until September through the Minister's office? In the meantime I tried to get the information direct from the Department by telephone. In each case I was referred to the Minister's office until such time as I objected and said I did not want any assistance from the Minister in this particular case.
This is leading to argument.
It was only then I got a satisfactory reply direct from the Department.
We are getting away from the subject matter altogether. Question No. 18.
I am not aware of that.
It is a very important matter. Can I have a reply to those supplementary questions?
I do not have any information on the particular instances referred to by the Deputy.
In view of the unsatisfactory replies, I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with Deputy Cunningham in the matter.