A Cheann Comhairle, b'áil liom cead a chur in iúl, mar eolas don Dáil, go bhfuil an Rialtas tar éis na Teachtaí seo a leanas a cheapadh chun bheith ina Rúnaithe Parlaiminte mar a leanas:—

Deasún Ó Máille, TD, Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Taoisigh agus an Aire Cosanta; Pádraig Ó Braonáin, TD, Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Aire Rialtais Áitiúil; Seán Mac Eochagáin, TD, Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Aire Leasa Shóisialaigh; Noel Lemass, TD, Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Aire Airgeadais; Diarmaid Ó Cróinín, TD, Rúnaí Parliaminte an Aire Talmhaíochta agus Iascaigh; Roibeard Ó Maolmhuaidh, TD, Rúnaí Parliaminte an Aire Oideachais; agus Gearóid Ó Coileáin, TD, Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Aire Tionscail agus Tráchtála agus Aire na Gaeltachta.

Would the Taoiseach repeat that in English, please?

Des O'Malley, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Defence; Paudge Brennan, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government; John Geoghegan, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare; Noel Lemass, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance; Jerry Cronin, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries; Robert Molloy, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education; and Gerard Collins, TD, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the Gaeltacht.

This must be a record.

It is as provided for in the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924. The appointment of a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education is being made for two reasons, first of all, because of the huge increase in the administration activities of the Department and, secondly, because I want to put special emphasis henceforth on physical education to which the new Parliamentary Secretary will have special regard.

Could the Taoiseach say whether there have ever been 21 Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries in the Dáil?

Yes, in the last Dáil.