asked the Minister for Transport if the procedure whereby Deputies direct representations to the Secretary of his Department is now being altered to channel representations to him or his Minister of State.

3.

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

4.

asked the Minister for Transport 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 Question Nos. 2, 3 and 4 together.

As Deputies are aware, the Department of Transport replaced the former Department of Tourism and Transport. The general procedure in the then Department of Tourism and Transport and previously in the Department of Transport and Power was that representations and queries addressed by Deputies to the Department were channelled to the Minister's private office and replies issued from that office. With the exception of minor variations made by individual Ministers, the practice was that the Minister signed replies to other Ministers and Government Deputies, Opposition spokesmen on the Department's affairs and other Opposition Deputies such as former Ministers. In the absence of the Minister his Private Secretary had authority to sign those replies. Replies to all other Deputies were signed by the Private Secretary.

While I was satisfied that the appropriate high priority was being given to representations and queries from Deputies under the procedure which I have outlined, I considered it appropriate that all replies issuing from my private office should normally be signed by me and I have, accordingly, made an arrangement to that effect. In order to ensure that there would be no undue delay in the issue of replies my Private Secretary has authority to sign replies in my absence.

The Minister of State at my Department also replies personally to representations and queries addressed to him by Deputies. His Private Secretary also has authority to sign replies in his absence.

Where representations and queries are addressed by Deputies direct to the Secretary of the Department, the Secretary normally replies personally to them. I have made no change in this procedure.

I should like to know who is the Minister of State in the Department of Transport?

It is Deputy Padraic Flynn.

The Minister of State is replying on behalf of the Minister.

In view of the changes outlined in the practice which apparently operated during the previous Government's term of office and also during the period of office of the Government before that, does the Minister not consider that some justification should be given for a change in policy which causes people to be suspicious of the motivation for the change?

What the Minister and the Minister of State wish to do is to give a good service to all Members of this House. I regard that as fundamental. Representations should get the highest priority and it is with that in mind that the present procedure has been adopted.

Is the Minister suggesting that if he does not personally sign a letter from his office that implies that the officers of the Department are doing less than full justice to the letter? Does the Minister contend that if the high standards he spoke about are to operate it must of necessity mean that his name is personally appended in each case? Surely that is a nonsense?

On the contrary. I want to make sure that representations from all Deputies will get first priority so far as replies are concerned. Everything is being done in the Department to give a good service to all Members of this House.

On a point of order, the Deputy opposite mentioned the period of office of the National Coalition and he quoted the procedure obtaining then. How does he know the position when he was not a Member of the House then?

That is not a point of order.

I have friends.