asked the Minister for the Public Service the circumstances under which persons are blacklisted from ever obtaining employment with the State, State-sponsored companies and local authorities.

I am not aware of circumstances under which persons are blacklisted from ever obtaining employment with the State, State-sponsored companies and local authorities.

Perhaps the word "ever" should have been deleted from the question. I should like to pose that question to the Minister, without the word "ever".

I have answered the question on the Order Paper.

The Minister is most forthcoming. I should like to be more explicit and ask the Minister the circumstances under which persons are blacklisted from being employed in Government, semi-State or public authorities?

That is the question on the Order Paper.

According to the definition of the Minister, it is not. He has read it a little narrower than that.

For the Deputy's information I should like to quote the question which is:

To ask the Minister for the Public Service the circumstances under which persons are blacklisted from ever obtaining employment with the State, State-sponsored companies and local authorities.

I have given a reply to that question which was to the effect that I am not aware of such circumstances.

Is the Minister saying that the people who are blacklisted are always taken on again in public services? The Minister is well aware of the question I am asking but he is not giving the answer.

The Deputy should have asked the question he wanted to ask.

I have asked the question but the answer the Minister has given is a blatant cover-up for what is the truth. People are blacklisted unfairly and unconstitutionally. If the Minister is not prepared to give the answer he will have to have it out another day and in another way. It is blackguardly carry-on, to say the least of it.