asked the Minister for Finance when it is proposed to improve the availability of secretarial help available to members of the Oireachtas, to bring them into line at least with the standards prevailing in the public service generally.
Written Answers. - Secretarial Assistance for Oireachtas Members.
212.
The ratio of assistants to Deputies under the scheme for secretarial assistance for non-office-holding Deputies has been improved very recently from one per ten, or part thereof, to one per seven, or part thereof. The new arrangements are being implemented at present.
As I indicated in this House on 12 October last, I would be prepared to consider any proposals, agreed by the parties, for alternative arrangements to the existing scheme.
213.
asked the Minister for Finance if, regarding the possession of wealth, land, property, assets of various kinds, and money, he will tabulate the percentages of population which own wealth in graduated values on a scale from £1 million down to zero, quoting his sources.
The information that the Deputy seeks is not available from official sources. Some helpful information can, however, be obtained from the annual reports of the Revenue Commissioners. These reports contain tables setting out, amongst other things, details of property in respect of which death duties, wealth tax and capital acquisitions tax were paid. These tables must of course be considered in the context of the individual duties or taxes and be read in the light of the qualifying remarks in the accompanying texts.