asked the Minister for the Public Service if, in view of the Buy Irish campaign, he has advised all State-sponsored bodies under the aegis of his Department to support the campaign; and if he will indicate the amount of foreign purchases of manufactured goods, on contract or otherwise, by his Department and by the State-sponsored bodies in the past 12 months, excluding goods which are not manufactured in Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foreign Goods Purchases.
9.
There are no State-sponsored bodies under the aegis of my Department. There were no foreign purchases of manufactured goods, on contract or otherwise, by my Department in the past 12 months.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary state if he has advised the Department to support the Buy Irish campaign?
No, I have not given any advice in the matter.
If it is Government policy to implement such a campaign and if they expect the community at large to support it, surely Ministers responsible for Government Departments should advise their Departments to do so as well?
One would think that they would support Irish industry. Under the Treaty of Accession, No. 30, since 1st January, 1975, the Government are precluded from issuing this advice to people.
How can the Parliamentary Secretary say that when the Minister for Health and the Minister for Local Government stated yesterday in the Dáil that they themselves had sent out circulars in this regard?
I am not responsible for those Ministers. That is the position.
The Parliamentary Secretary referred in his reply to State-sponsored bodies. The question includes purchases by the Department proper. Would the Parliamentary Secretary now say whether any purchases made by the Department were purchases made abroad and will he say whether any instructions were given within the Department that they should purchase Irish goods?
There is a separate question dealing with that.
May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary if the Department for the Public Service issue contracts to meet their own printing requirements?
There is a separate question dealing with that matter by Deputy MacSharry to the Department of Finance.
My question refers to the Department of the Public Service.
The answer is that there was no foreign purchase of manufactured goods by this Department in the last 12 months.
The question relates to purchases made by the Department of the Public Service.
There is no such State-sponsored body in that Department.
I do not think the Parliamentary Secretary understands my point. I have asked a question in relation to the printing requirements of the Department of the Public Service and I should like him to inform the House whether orders for such printing are made by the Department of the Public Service or the Department of Finance?
They come under the Department of Finance. I am sure the Deputy is referring to the Stationery Office.
I am referring to notepaper and other printed forms.
I have not that information.
Are they ordered directly by the Department of the Public Service or does another Department handle that?
I have not that information in my brief.
In view of what the Parliamentary Secretary has said in relation to the EEC situation, would he agree that in so far as the Minister for the Public Service is concerned the Buy Irish campaign is only a propaganda exercise?
I would not agree with that.