: Why is this question not being answered by the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy to whom it was originally addressed and who has dealt with this topic in the House before now?

: That is a separate question.

: Surely I am entitled to know why the Minister to whom I addressed this question tossed it like a hot potato to a Minister who never previously has handled this topic in the House.

: The Deputy is aware that this is a practice which is going on in the House.

: I realise that questions are passed from hand to hand but usually there is some excuse for it. In this case there is no excuse, since the Minister to whom I addressed this question previously handled this topic in the House when he had to. On other occasions he got his Man Friday to do it, but this is the first time that he has pushed the question completely out of his Department, and I want to know why.

: The Deputy should be aware that the temporary employment subsidy scheme will be operated by the Department of Labour. I take it that that is the reason why any such question regarding the operation of the TES scheme will be dealt with by my Department, and that is sufficient reason why I should answer.

: Can the House take it that the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy is stepping out of the picture as far as this area of operations is concerned, and that the Minister at present on his feet will be handling the matter from now on? Are all questions on this topic to be addressed to this Minister in future? Has the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy no function at all in the matter?

: One would assume that this Deputy was new to the House.

: This is a new one on me.

: The Deputy will recall that in the budget statement in February the operation of a temporary employment subsidy was announced for certain industries, and with the usual co-operation of Ministers of this Government, when details of the scheme had been worked out it was decided then, and understandably so, that the scheme would be operated by the Department of Labour. That is why the Deputy's question regarding the temporary employment subsidy which had been awaited for so long by Irish industry should be answered from my Department.