andMr. Enright asked the Minister for Education if the procedure whereby Deputies direct representations to the Secretary of his Department is now being altered to channel representations to him (or his Ministers of State).
35.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Deputies' Representations.
34.
andMr. Enright asked the Minister for Education if there has been any recent change in the issue of replies to Deputies' queries by his Department.
36.
asked the Minister for Education if he has issued a directive or other oral or written instruction to the Secretary of his Department that all queries and representations by Deputies, must be through his private office; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 35 and 36 together.
The normal procedure is that letters or representations in any other forms, from Dáil Deputies, in their capacity as such, are, in general, replied to from the office of the Minister of State or of the Minister for Education, irrespective of whether they have been addressed to the Department or to the Ministers. This practice has obtained since before the date on which I assumed office as Minister for Education.
Surely the Minister must agree with me when I say that if a Member of the Oireachtas writes to the Department of Education he is entitled to an answer from the Secretary of that Department if he addresses his letter to that person?
The practice obtaining in the Department of Education at present is the one which obtained before the Minister for Education took office, and indeed before I took office. As far as I am concerned, if there is a desire on the part of Deputies that that practice be altered I am sure the Minister would listen to any representations they might have to make.
Is the Minister aware of instances in the constituency I represent where I made representations regarding school transport to the office of the Minister for Education, when the particular problems happened to be solved successfully, and when communication was established with another Deputy representing the constituency prior to my being notified?
If the Deputy will give me particulars of the case to which he refers I will have them examined very carefully. I have responsibility for the scheme to which the Deputy has referred. I can assure him that that is not, and has not been the practice since I took over duties in that office.
Does the Minister of State accept that if a Deputy makes a representation on a particular matter, on which no other Deputy has made a representation, that that Deputy is entitled to the first sight of the information contained in the reply?
There were never any doubts about that as far as I am concerned in the administration of my duties.
Question No. 37.
This is a serious matter, a very important matter, a matter——
It is, and I am calling the next question.
It is a matter of a breach of privilege. It is a matter which concerns every Deputy in this House. I personally want to make a charge against whoever was responsible——
This is totally contrary to the purpose and spirit of Question Time.
——for information regarding a successful application for school transport being relayed to an individual in the Tuam area although that individual never contacted the Fianna Fáil Minister of State who relayed the information to him. Where else could he have got it but from the Department?
I have asked the Deputy to give me particulars of the case, and I will——
(Interruptions.)
I am sure that the Deputy, having made the charges——
If I could make it in confidence I would make it, but there is no confidence involved.
If the Deputy will be so courteous as to give me the particulars I can assure him in this House that I will have them examined. He can then put down a question later on and I will give him all the details.
If I give the Minister the information regarding the charge I have made, can I have an assurance from him that he will not go and communicate with other people, as has been done in the past?
If the Deputy will give me the information, I assure him I will give him an honest reply. If the Deputy will consult other members of his party he will find that they accept that in respect of the area for which I am responsible the charge he has made has not got any base at all.
The charge is in respect of school transport.
If the Deputy gives me the details, the House can decide who is correct.
Accepting what the Minister has said, that the practice has been long standing, that it existed before he came into the House, does he not think that the continuation of such a practice is an invasion of the privacy of a Deputy in relation to making representations to a Department—that he is entitled to that information and that that information should not be given to other Deputies in the constituency just because an Opposition Deputy asked for it in the first instance?
I agree that should not occur and I assure the Deputy it does not take place.
Deputy Tunney is one of the fairest Deputies in the House, but it happens that when Deputies contact a Department——
We must get on.
I will convey the Deputy's feelings on the matter to the Minister.
It is to a faction within a certain party that the information is being given.
The remaining questions will appear on the Order Paper for the next day on which Question Time is being taken.