Vol. 436 No. 7
101 Dr. Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total number of representations received by his Department since the formation of the Government from Members of the Oireachtas and the general public respectively; and the cost of dealing with these representations.
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The task of compiling the available information, which in the case of my Department would also extend to representations received through our network of overseas missions, would involve an inordinate amount of time and would not, in any event, give a comprehensive figure as many representations are received in person or by telephone and are not recorded in statistical form. I can inform the Deputy in general terms that I receive a very large number of representations across a broad range of issues from both Members of the Oireachtas and members of the general public.
