asked the Minister for Justice (i) the number of prison officers promoted to ACO, (ii) the number of ACOs promoted to CO and (iii) the number of (a) male recruits and (b) female recruits to the prison service in the past 12 months.

During the past 12 months 36 prison officers were promoted to assistant chief officer and four assistant chief officers were promoted to chief officer II. Three hundred and thirty-six male prison officers and 11 female prison officers were recruited in the same period.

Is the Minister satisfied that in promoting ACOs or recruiting staff to the prison service no person is employed who has a record? For example, would the Minister investigate the fact that one person was involved in IRA crimes?

The Deputy is making a serious allegation that does not arise on this question. It should not be made.

I have no knowledge of what the Deputy is talking about. If he has information that would indicate that a member of the IRA or some other subversive organisation is now in the prison service, I would welcome it.

I will give it to the Minister.

I am calling Question No. 16.

I hope the Deputy will communicate with me this afternoon.

I will.

I suggest to the Deputy that if situations like this happen in future he does not have to wait to raise the matter publicly but is welcome to come to my office at any time and make me aware of it.

I know that because I have had the privilege of going to the Minister's office and that is something I want to thank him for but it is not a privilege. My duty is in the House and I will perform that duty.

Rather than have more scare rumours and the raising of these things, the Deputy would be welcome to come to see me and make me aware of such matters.

The Minister should stop lecturing.

The Chair has already ruled that something like that should not be raised on such a question.

The Minister should take off his mortar board.

The Deputy will not have to wait until the next Question Time.