asked the Minister for Justice the number of staff (a) in his office and (b) in the office of the Minister of State at his Department whose duties are primarily dealing with constituency work.

Apart from the personal assistant in each of the offices whose time is devoted almost entirely to constituency work, there are 23 heads of staff in my office and ten in the office of the Minister of State whose duties comprise both departmental and constituency work.

Is the Minister saying that there are more than 30 people in his Department who are dealing with constituency work?

I am not saying that.

Is this the number of people then, in both the Minister's office and in the office of the Minister of State who are dealing with constituency work?

That is not what I said. I shall read the reply again:

Apart from the personal assistant in each of the offices whose time is devoted almost entirely to constituency work, there are 23 heads of staff in my office and ten in the office of the Minister of State whose duties comprise both departmental and constituency work.

Can the Minister say how much of the work in his office would be constituency work?

So far as my office is concerned, a great deal of the work is departmental but I have a good deal of constituency work also.

Is the Minister prepared——

We cannot spend all day on the question.

——either to confirm or to deny that there are letters going from his Department to constituents in which are enclosed envelopes addressed to the Minister with the suggestion that these addressed envelopes be used so that the people concerned will not need to affix stamps, whereas if the envelopes were addressed to Gerry Collins, TD, stamps would be required?

This is a statement.

Is the Minister prepared either to confirm or to deny that such letters are being sent to his constituents?

If the Deputy would like to have lessons from me as to how to care for his constituents in Donegal I should be glad to oblige.

The Minister is not denying my allegation.

This must be the final supplementary. Will Deputy Begley either ask a question or sit down?

Have the staff in question been recruited through the Civil Service Commission?

One person, so far as I am concerned.

Has only one of these people been recruited in the normal way through the Civil Service Commission?

No. My personal assistant is the only one in my Department who was recruited outside the commission. The Minister of State, too, recruited his personal assistant. All the others were recruited through the commission.

The remaining questions will appear on the Order Paper for next Tuesday.