Vol. 397 No. 3
11 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason letters addressed to his Department by Members of the Oireachtas are frequently neither acknowledged nor answered; the reason the issuing of replies to queries seems to be the exception rather than the rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A large volume of letters from Members of the Oireachtas are received in my Department each week. In the majority of cases replies issue promptly. However, delays in replying can occur when, for example, the information sought is not readily available or where further inquiries may have to be made to identify the precise nature of the problem. During the period 1 December 1989 to 28 February 1990 approximately 2,000 letters from Members of the Oireachtas were received in my Department. Approximately 1,500 of these have been finally dealt with.
(Limerick East): Does the Minister distinguish between letters addressed to himself and those addressed to the Secretary of his Department in the manner in which they are answered?
No, I do not. I assure the Deputy that there is no such distinction.
(Limerick East): Is the Minister aware that on every Order Paper there are written questions down to the Minister for Agriculture and Food which, on the face of it, seem to be dealing exclusively with constituency matters? On today's Order Paper there are 15 questions, 12 of them relating directly to constituency matters which could be more appropriately answered by letter. Is not the high frequency of these written questions, which at this stage is almost exclusive to his Department, an indication that the representations made by letter are not being dealt with properly and adequately?
Let me assure the Deputy that, as I have done in the past, I will endeavour to ensure that all letters, whether addressed to the Department or to my own office, are dealt with as quickly as possible; they will certainly be acknowledged as soon as possible after receipt. I acknowledge that there have been delays but part of the problem is the increase in the number of new schemes. The problem of implementing these new schemes should be welcomed. The Deputy will be aware that there was also a personnel dispute which particularly affected my Department. This has now been resolved and I have made every effort to expedite matters both in the interests of the people concerned and of Deputies and Senators.
(Limerick East): I would like to thank the Minister for the information given and for the commitment to greater efficiency in the future. I appreciate the difficulty in the Minister's Department which has a very heavy workload of representations. Will the Minister consider adopting the procedures which were put in place by his colleague in the Department of Social Welfare whereby written questions usually result in a telephone call with a commitment to a letter, with the withdrawal of the written question and a far greater level of efficiency? I am trying to be helpful. There is a serious problem. I would suggest that there is a heavier workload in the Department of Social Welfare and it is dealt with more efficiently.
I am prepared to look at all such cases. If there is a possibility of expediting matters in everybody's interest, I will certainly do it. Many matters dealt with in my Department relate to European Community funded schemes where the regulations are laid down by the European Community. We have to satisfy their criteria. There is a whole range of matters in that category. I do not think the position in the Department of Social Welfare is quite analogous.
(Limerick East): Would the Minister consider setting up a TDs' inquiry section where business could be conducted over the telephone, as is the practice in Social Welfare? I mention the Department of Social Welfare because they are now giving a good service and they were abysmal. The structures have changed.
I will take on board what the Deputy has said.
