Parliamentary Questions Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 December 2018

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Ceisteanna (62)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

62. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of parliamentary questions his Department has processed in the past three years to date; the number of questions answered directly; the number of questions referred to bodies or agencies under the aegis of his Department for direct reply; the number of staff who are assigned to his parliamentary questions section; and if non-departmental staff, advisers and-or public affairs and relations companies have composed parliamentary question replies or had an act or hand in forming parliamentary question replies in the timeframe specified. [52238/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

The number of Parliamentary Questions answered directly by my Department in the years 2016, 2017, and from 1 January 2018 to 22 November 2018, is set out in the following table.

Year	Number of Parliamentary Questions
2016	658
2017	1,134
1 January - 22 November 2018	969

My Department did not refer any Parliamentary Question to an external body or agency for direct reply.

My Department does not have a specific section to deal with Parliamentary Questions, rather replies are prepared in the first instance by departmental staff dealing with the matter which is the subject of each individual question. From time to time, one or both of my advisers may input into a reply to specific questions.  However, questions are not referred to external bodies such as public relations companies.