andMr. Enright asked the Minister for the Environment if the procedure whereby Deputies direct representations to the Secretary of his Department is now being altered to channel representations to him (or his Ministers of State).

9.

andMr. Enright asked the Minister for the Environment if there has been any recent change in the issue of replies to Deputies' queries by his Department.

10.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he has issued a directive, or other oral or written instruction to the Secretary of his Department, that all queries and representations by Deputies must be through his private office; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 9 and 10 together.

The general position is that queries or representations addressed to the Secretary of my Department are replied to officially by the various sections of my Department without reference to my personal office or the personal offices of the Minister of State. These offices deal with correspondence addressed personally to Ministers. I have not issued instructions which would alter these arrangements.

I should like to place on record that I am not getting at the Minister, but what is the attitude of his junior Ministers in this regard?

The position is as I have stated. There is no change whatsoever in my Department.

Is the Minister speaking on behalf of his two junior Ministers of State?

Yes.

It appears to some people that the only reason they have for interfering in the normal——

This is a statement.

I should like to ask the Minister if he is aware that the general consensus on this side of the House is that the only reason Ministers of State are interfering in ordinary communications between Deputies and the Department is because they are bored stiff playing fox and goose in his Department?

That is not true.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister——

We cannot take up the time of the House with frivolous questions.

This is a serious matter.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I request permission to put a final supplementary.

We will allow it.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware——

The Deputy's party were practising a bit of fox play.

Order, please.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that since the Ministers of State were appointed to his office on frequent occasions letters addressed to the Secretary of his Department are replied to by one or other of the Ministers of State, usually one?

I have no knowledge of that and as far as I am aware it does not happen.

(Cavan-Monaghan): I know I cannot give information but if the Minister will make inquiries he will find that this is happening. It means that letters which have been directed to the Secretary of his Department must be passed on to the private offices of his Ministers of State.

I am assured that it is not happening, but since the Deputy asked me to make further inquiries I will do so.

Could the Minister also ask his junior Ministers to ensure that when they are replying they do so reasonably promptly and not tell a Deputy two months after the event that something has happened? I do not accept that this is a matter for joking. I do not know if it is happening to Government Deputies but it is happening on this side and it is a disgrace.

My Ministers do not delay anything unnecessarily.

I can produce evidence of delays of up to two months.