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Departmental Communications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2017

Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Ceisteanna (249, 250, 252, 253, 254)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

249. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date and time in May 2015 the then Minister received the email referred to in Leaders' Questions on 21 November 2017. [50414/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

250. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the email from his Department referred to by the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions on 21 November 2017 was found on 16 July 2017 by his Department or was sent to the Government from outside a government Department. [50419/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

252. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when and the way in which the attention of the then Minister's personal staff or advisers was drawn to the email from his Department referred to by the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions on 21 November 2017; and the actions they took in regard to same. [50421/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

253. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the time of the email from his Department referred to by the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions on 21 November 2017; the person it was addressed to; the persons it was copied to; the location from which it originated; and if the attention of persons in his Department was drawn to the contents of the email previously. [50422/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

254. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date of the conversation referred to in the email from his Department referred to by the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions on 21 November 2017. [50423/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 249, 250 and 252 to 254, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy is aware, the relevant series of emails to which he refers have now been published on the website of the Department of Justice and Equality. They have also been disclosed to the Disclosures Tribunal. 

This publication contains the relevant information which the Deputy is seeking.  

It can be seen there that it was sent by an Assistant Secretary at 16:57 to the Private Secretary of the then Minister, copied to the Secretary General's Office, the then Deputy Secretary and a Principal Officer in the Department. The email originated in the Department and is an account of a telephone conversation between the Assistant Secretary and a senior official in the Office of the Attorney General. The telephone conversation which gave rise to the email of 15 May 2015 took place on the same day, that is 15 May 2015.

The email was subsequently forwarded to the then Minister and her advisors, and her Private Secretary subsequently replied on 25 May 2015 saying it had been noted by the Minister. It was also drawn to the attention of the Secretary General and his private secretary sent a similar reply. All parts of this thread have been published by my Department. There is no record of the email having been subsequently brought to the attention of persons other then those referred to above. The information was uncovered in the course of a trawl of emails in my Department that was undertaken.

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