andMr. Enright asked the Minister for Labour 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).

24.

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

25.

asked the Minister for Labour 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. 23, 24 and 25 together.

There has been no recent change in the procedure in my Department for issue of replies to Deputies' queries and representations nor have I issued any directive or other instruction in this regard recently.

Does that apply also to the Minister's junior Ministers?

That applies to the Ministers in the Department of Labour.

Therefore, anyone working in the Minister's Department can understand from the Minister's reply that they are free to have communications with Deputies and that there will be no intrusion on Deputies' rights to avail of the services of the civil service by the Minister or his junior Minister.

I gave my reply very clearly that there have been no changes in the Department during my time or any change since before I went in there. The position that existed still exists.

(Cavan-Monaghan): What is the practice?

I answered the three questions on the Order Paper and if the Deputy puts down a question I will answer it for him.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Obviously the Minister is not being informed if he is hedging. He is evading the position——

I am not evading but Deputy is trying to insinuate——

(Cavan-Monaghan): I am not insinuating anything.

The Deputy is in typical devious style.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister tell the House what the present position is in his Department regarding queries in the form of letters put to the Secretary of his Department? Who answers them?

That is a separate question. Deputy Fitzpatrick as usual is using insinuations. If he reads the three questions he will find I have answered them. What he asks is a completely separate question but I will answer it by saying the same as has always applied: the reply will go from the Secretary. There has been no change.

That is not fully answering the question.

That is fully answering the question before me on the Order Paper. There has been no change. If the Deputy wants further information or to pursue his insinuations he should put down another question.

I am not insinuating anything. I am asking the Minister to clearly state that if a Deputy communicates with a civil servant in his Department that that civil servant will be free to discuss the matter with the Deputy and give him any information he seeks without interference from the junior Minister or the Minister's office telling someone, not by directive but by whispering in their ear, not to give anyone any information without telling him. Would the Minister give an assurance that no such arrangement exists in his Department?

No directive or whisper in the ear has been given by me nor have I changed in any way the system that applied before I went into the Department.

Can the Minister assure me that representations made by Deputies to his Department are answered by his Department and not through his office?

I said the position has not changed.

It has not changed in the Minister's office?

They have not changed since I went into the office and they are the same as they were before I went in. If Deputies on any side of the house communicate with the Secretary they get a reply from the Secretary.

What about other sections of the Department?

Order, please. I am calling the next question.

What the Minister says is at variance with the practice.

It is not at variance with the practice.

To every letter I send to the Minister's Department I get a very nice reply from the Minister even though I do not write to him. Is the Minister denying that that is the practice? It has been happening for the past two years.

I did not change in any way by whisper or directive the procedures that existed in the Department. I would always like to ensure that Deputies on all sides of the House got full information through the normal channels that existed in my predecessor's time and in my time. I am not going to change that.

When the Minister does elect to write to Deputies would he desist from the practice of writing to an Opposition Deputy by saying "Dear Deputy" and in the case of others "Dear Niall" or "Dear Joe"?

Or "Dear Jim".

What is the big vote catcher in this? What is the big deal about being——

I seem to remember getting "Dear Deputy" letters myself.

Dear Minister, would you answer the next question?

The Deputy would not like to be on such familiar terms with me.

The Minister misled the House.

I have not. Ceann Comhairle, am I not entitled to some protection? If the Deputy read the reply—

I can show the Minister——

The Minister would have all the protection in the world if he took the Chair's advice. I am calling the next question.

A good deal about being in government is that one gets letters saying "Dear Joe" but when in Opposition one gets "Dear Deputy" letters.