asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will state (a) in respect of each Minister of State who was formerly a Parliamentary Secretary, the precise nature of the wider and heavier responsibilities assigned to him or her by comparison with his or her responsibilities as Parliamentary Secretary, as promised by him in his Dáil speech of 2 November 1977; and (b) in respect of each Minister of State who was not formerly a Parliamentary Secretary, the precise nature of the functions assigned to him.

20.

asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will outline the specific areas of responsibility assigned to each Minister of State.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.

The responsibilities of Ministers of State, like those of Parliamentary Secretaries before 1 January last, are of two kinds: first, the provision of general support and assistance to Ministers of the Government through making public appearances, receiving and considering representations, considering policy alternatives and directing departmental business, attending to Parliamentary business and participating in international affairs: second, the discharge of statutory functions of Ministers of the Government delegated to them under the Ministers and Secretaries Acts. In the first category of responsibilities, Ministers of State are being required by the appropriate Ministers of the Government to undertake a greater degree of responsibility than that considered appropriate to a Parliamentary Secretary. In the second category, a review of the statutory responsibilities of each Minister of the Government is necessary before the delegations of statutory functions are made by order by the Government. As a result of this review so far, the Government have already by order assigned extra statutory functions to the Minister of State at the Department of Defence and further statutory functions will be assigned to other Ministers of State as the review proceeds. The information on the specific responsibilities of the Ministers of State is set out in a tabular statement which I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate for inclusion in the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

I am somewhat at a disadvantage because I do not know what the tabular statement contains. Will the Minister state if it contains enough material to enable the House or anyone outside it to make a comparison between what the Minister for Finance called the "wider and heavier responsibilities" now assigned to these Ministers of State and the duties previously assigned to the Parliamentary Secretaries, which seven of the ten Deputies once were? Will it enable that comparison to be made so that we may see what are the "heavier and wider responsibilities"?

I am sure if the Deputy wishes he will be able to make such a comparison.

That is not what I asked. Will the material in the tabular statement disclose such a comparison so that people may see the difference?

The tabular statement includes the functions and responsibilities of every Minister of State in their Departments.

Will it also include the functions that were exercised before the promotion and before the operation of the Bill which abolished the title of Parliamentary Secretary? Will it enable someone to see, for example in the case——

It is not usual to ask questions about a tabular statement which the Deputy will have an opportunity of seeing.

The area of responsibility for each Minister of State is disclosed in the statement.

I want to know about Parliamentary Secretaries. Will there be a description of the functions and duties of the Parliamentary Secretaries?

The Deputy should wait until he gets the tabular statement.

The Minister has nodded, meaning there will not be.

The Minister is trying to avoid the question.

I have stated that the area of responsibility for each Minister of State is disclosed in the statement. The Deputy is well aware that the Ministers of State are performing duties with a greater degree of responsibility than was the case with Parliamentary Secretaries.

I wanted to know——

Will the Deputy allow me to reply to his questions?

The Minister is not replying.

The Deputy is continually on his feet. For the past three weeks this Deputy has been continually on his feet at Question Time and it has been possible to answer only 15 or 16 questions each day.

I must apologise for exercising my right to put questions. I suppose I can only do it by leave of Fianna Fáil in the future.

We will not have an argument across the floor of the House. This seems to be persisting.

This is a very strange attitude for the Minister of State, Deputy MacSharry.

I suppose we should apologise for being here at all.

I gave the reply as requested.

I asked about the previous duties of Parliamentary Secretaries. I want to know, yes or no, if the tabular statement contains a clear distinction between those duties and the new duties of the Minister of State.

The tabular statement includes the area of responsibility of each Minister of State.

The Minister is like Izvestia. I asked the question four times but we still do not know.