asked the Taoiseach if he will outline all the changes made in the allocation of functions between Government Departments since the present Government took office.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Departments' Functions.
5.
The details of such changes are as follows: — The Government, (a) on 5 January 1983 approved the transfer of responsibility for the affairs of the Council for the Status of Women from the Department of Labour to the Department of the Taoiseach; (b) on 7 January 1983 approved the transfer of responsibility for Youth Affairs from the Department of Education to the Department of Labour; (c) on 12 January 1983 decided that responsibility for the Pro-Life Amendment of the Constitution should be transferred back from the Department of Health to the Department of Justice which the Leader of the Opposition proposed on 24 September last should have responsibility for drafting the necessary Bill; and (d) on 20 January 1983 made an order entitled Industry and Energy (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1983, formally transferring responsibility for certain residual functions in relation to the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards from the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism to the Department of Industry and Energy.
Is the Taoiseach in a position to deny some persistent rumours to the effect that responsibility for Radio Éireann is to be transferred to his Department or to the Minister of State, Deputy Nealon, in his Department?
No decision of that kind has been taken.
In saying that no decision has been taken it would seem to imply that the matter is being considered.
The matter has not come before the Government.
The Taoiseach communes with himself from time to time and tosses these matters around in his mind. Is any such proposal being considered either by him or by anybody in the Government?
I think the appropriate procedure in relation to the transfer of functions is that the Government will consider taking a decision on any matter before bringing it before the House.
I am asking the Taoiseach a very simple question and I think we are entitled to some information about it. My question is simply: is the issue of the transfer of responsibility for RTE from the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs to the Taoiseach's Department under consideration at all?
No.
Will the Taoiseach agree with me that it is regrettable that the legislation and subsequent referendum, having regard to the pro-life situation, should be transferred from the Minister of Health to the Minister for Justice?
This seems to be going back to a question that has been answered.
In his reply the Taoiseach has indicated that the Government made an order transferring responsibility for this legislation from Health to Justice. Surely we are entitled to an answer? Perhaps he would also give us some indication of his thinking in regard to this allocation because to most of us it would seem that the Pro-Life Amendment legislation would naturally and rightly belong to the Minister for Health.
This decision corresponds to a proposal by my predecessor, Deputy Haughey, in his memo to the Government on 24 September last which proposed that it should be drafted by the Department of Justice. This reversed his proposal of July last that the Minister for Health should have the Bill drafted. The Leader of the Opposition will recall that his proposal of 24 September was reversed by him on 1 November.
The Taoiseach will also agree that the final decision of my Government was that the matter should be handled by the Minister for Health.
Is it in order for the Taoiseach to read out minutes and memoranda of previous Cabinet meetings?
The Chair has no control over how the Taoiseach and Ministers answer questions.
Is this a proper way of proceeding in this House? Can we have some standards from the Taoiseach in this regard?
That is not a matter for the Chair. Deputy Mac Giolla has been trying to get in.
A Cheann Comhairle, ar mhiste leis an Taoiseach a insint don Teach seo cé aige go bhfuil cúram aige anois faoi chúrsaí Gaeilge agus cad a tharla do aireacht na Gaeltachta?
There has been no change in that area, nor is any change proposed.
Cén Aire go bhfuil cúram aige do chúrsaí na Gaeilge, an teanga, faoi láthair? Sin í an cheist atá agam agus chomh maith le sin cé tá i gceannas——
Sin ceist eile.
Arising from what the Taoiseach has said in reply to Deputy Haughey in relation to the transfer of functions of RTE to the Minister of State at his Department, is the Taoiseach now categorically denying suggestions made by his Minister of State, Deputy Nealon, to that effect in certain media in recent weeks?
The question put to me is whether it is proposed to transfer responsibilities to my Department and I have answered that question.
Is the Taoiseach denying suggestions made by his Minister of State, Deputy Nealon, in that regard, that such was about to happen?
I am not aware of what the Minister of State, Deputy Nealon, said and, therefore, am not in a position to comment on it.
Check on the files.
Certainly.
This is the final supplementary. We have had many supplementaries on this question.
Arising from the Taoiseach's reply, in relation to the youth section which has for the last five or six years been in the Department of Education, will the Taoiseach confirm that that Department have now certain expertise which has built up under Ministers Tunney, Keating and Geoghegan-Quinn? Will that expertise transfer en bloc to be a new section within the Department of Labour?
Provisions are in train to give effect at administrative level to the transfer of functions.
This section have done great honour to this House in that they have been very successful in their job. In my view and that of my party the proper Department to which this should be related is the Department of Education. It would be sad if the expertise built up by the administration in that Department was now to go.
The Deputy is making a submission rather than asking a question.