Vol. 503 No. 7
1 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if the communications unit of his Department has received requests from journalists for tapes or transcripts of members of the Government, Government Deputies or Opposition Deputies; if any such tapes or transcripts have been supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10104/99]
It has been the practice of the Government Information Services for many years, prior to the initiation of the communications unit, that when, infrequently, requests for transcripts of interviews are received from journalists they are provided only if they are available as a result of being produced for Ministers or their Departments. The communications unit which is part of the Government Information Services has continued this practice.
As there is public interest in what is the Irish GCHQ, have requests been received from journalists for recordings of speeches or comments of Opposition spokespersons on the airwaves and, if so, have they been provided?
No such requests have been received. Transcripts are asked for infrequently. It does not happen systematically.
Does the Taoiseach read all of them?
I read the transcripts of interviews on Northern radio stations.
There is extensive monitoring of local radio stations. To whom are transcripts made available? Are they routinely made available to every Minister?
What happens is that the headline issues are listed and made available to Ministers. Transcripts are not made available, unless there is an issue of particular interest to a Minister.
May I take it the Taoiseach is informing the House that, other than providing essential information to Ministers, no other body has routine access to reports from the communications unit?
Prior to the initiation of the communications unit, Departments availed of the services of private companies to obtain transcripts. The degree of monitoring is grossly exaggerated.
