andMr. Enright asked the Minister for the Public Service 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).

28.

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

29.

asked the Minister for the Public Service 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. 27, 28 and 29 together.

No directive either oral or written has been given by me to the Secretary or any other member of my Department to channel queries and representations by Deputies through my private office. There have been no recent changes in the issue of replies to Deputies' queries by my Department.

Could the Minister tell me how he got information last week from letters sent in by Deputies to his Department which were not sent to him personally?

Would the Deputy be more specific?

The Minister said in the House last week that he had information from particular letters sent by Deputies that were not addressed to him.

If the Deputy would like to give me particulars, that is fine. I can only tell the Deputy the factual position. May I also tell the Deputy I have enough to do answering the queries I get without bothering with any other Deputy.

I am not a Mayo Deputy but I am sure if the Minister would consult with Deputies from Mayo on both sides of the House——

Ah, yes——

Now the Minister knows what we are at.

I know what the Deputy is at now.

Of course he does.

Of course I do because I do my work. Perhaps the Deputy would ask his friend what he is talking about because I do not know.

Can I be assured by the Minister, when representations are made to the Secretary of his Department, that an answer will be given by the Secretary of the Department rather than by the Minister?

I will give the Deputy a little more information—if the Deputy writes to the Secretary of the Department, by name, he will get a reply from the Secretary of the Department. If he writes just to the Secretary of the Department he will get a reply from the appropriate official level.

Can we have an assurance from the Minister that if I ring up the Minister's Department and speak with a civil servant in the Department that that civil servant is free to give me any information I seek on behalf of a constituent without being told that this information must pass the Minister's office or being told: Deputy, it might be better if you rang the Minister's office for this information?

I would like the Deputy to let me know if any civil servant in my Department asked him to do that.

That is not what I asked. I am asking the Minister will he give an assurance——

Will I write it out for Deputy Harte?

I am asking the Minister to give an assurance that no civil servant will be told that.

No civil servant has been or will be told to channel things through my office. Might I just say that I have enough to do without looking for information like that.

Sir, could I ask the Minister——

I do not like this practice of a Deputy insisting, in spite of the Chair, on asking a question. I am calling Question No. 30.