Dick Spring
Ceist:5 Mr. Spring asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the mechanism employed by the Government Information Service for issuing statements on behalf of the Government at weekends.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Statements.
At weekends, as at all other times, Government statements are issued by or under the authority of the Government Press Secretary.
In relation to the decision by the United States to conduct the land war in the Middle East, did the Government consult before the issuing of that statement?
Yes, certainly.
More specifically, could I ask the Taoiseach what members of the Government were consulted before that statement was issued on Sunday 24 February?
There is no precedent, a Cheann Comhairle, for disclosing details of Government administration of that kind.
The Deputy is raising a very specific matter perhaps worthy of a separate question.
It is well within the ambit of my question, if I may so, Sir, with respect. Given the similarity of the statement issued by the Government Press Secretary on that occasion to the statements issued in Brussels in particular, I want to know if the Taoiseach consulted his colleagues before that statement was issued on a Sunday afternoon.
The Deputy can take it that full consultation on any of these matters that is required is always undertaken by me.
I cannot ask what that means.