asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he proposes to take any action to review the accounts section of his Department in view of the outcome of the case (details supplied) heard in Dublin District Court on 24 October 1983.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental Accounts Section Review.
29.
The correspondence in the case in question took place between April 1980 and January 1981 during the aftermath of the two prolonged strikes in 1978 and 1979. As the Deputy will be aware, these strikes caused major disruption of the telephone billing system and it took a considerable time to deal with the arrears of revenue and the huge volume of correspondence which had accumulated at that time.
The working of the accounts section of my Department is, of course, reviewed regularly.
Does the Minister propose to appeal the decision of the courts on this case? In that case the judge——
If it is sub judice we had better leave it at that.
I do not know whether it is or not.
It would follow from what the Deputy has said that it may be sub judice. He asked whether it is proposed to appeal it.
It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the matter.
This gentleman went to court and he won his case. Does the Minister intend to appeal?
That is not sub judice— it is sub-Minister.
We are talking about a case that occurred in 1979-80 when the Deputy was responsible, as Minister.
The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.