I propose to take Questions Nos. 416, 418 to 427, inclusive, 429 to 432, inclusive, 434, 435, 460, 462 to 471, inclusive, and 473 to 480, inclusive, together.
I wish to inform the Deputy that since taking office I have made every effort to provide Deputies with the information requested in their Parliamentary Questions, including, on occasions, information concerning matters in respect of which I am not responsible to the Dáil and/or was already in the public domain. The information requested by the Deputy in the above Parliamentary Questions clearly relates to the detail of the day to day operations of the organisations concerned. The information sought does not relate to the public affairs of my Department, to matters of administration for which I am officially responsible nor to matters of Government policy in respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department. While I would like to be of assistance to the Deputy, the provision of the sheer volume of information requested in the above Parliamentary Questions, especially where I have no official responsibility for the matters raised, would require the allocation and expenditure of a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort which cannot be justified where there are other significant demands on resources both in my Department and the organisations concerned. I regret therefore that I am not in a position on this occasion to provide the Deputy with the information he is seeking.