Vol. 430 No. 8
7 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Taoiseach if, in respect of each semi-State or other body submitting an annual report to his Department, he will give details of the dates on which the 1991 and 1992 annual reports were received by him and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Law Reform Commission and the National Statistics Board submit annual reports to my Department. The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:
The Law Reform Commission's 1991 annual report was sent to the Department of the Taoiseach on 1 July 1992; submitted to Government on 1 September 1992 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 1 September 1992. The Commission's annual report for the year 1992 is in course of preparation.
The National Statistics Board's 1991 annual report was sent to the Department of the Taoiseach on 4 July 1991; submitted to Government on 19 July 1991 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 12 August 1991. Its 1992 annual report was sent to the Department of the Taoiseach on 9 June 1992, submitted to Government on 23 June 1992 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 24 June 1992.
Does the Taoiseach accept that as a general principle all semi-State or other such bodies should submit their annual report within six months of the end of the year of account?
Yes.
Is the Taoiseach aware, as I found when I last raised this issue with various Departments of State, that more than 40 semi-State and other such bodies which report to Ministers are almost a year in arrears in submitting their reports? Will the Taoiseach issue a general instruction to his colleagues in Cabinet that this slapdash approach will not be accepted and that from now on there will be, at most, a six months' time limit in this regard? This would give an example to the general public.
I have already issued such an instruction to all Government Departments in relation to submissions of annual reports.
I will be watching the position with interest.
