Minister’s duty to answer questions
O’Keeffe challenged whether a Minister may decline to provide requested information; the Ceann Comhairle said the matter could not be debated and moved on.
A number of legitimate questions have been put down here by my colleagues and accepted by you, Sir, as being appropriate to the Order Paper. Is it proper that the Minister should reject these questions and indicate, in effect, that he will not answer them? Is this not an entire negation of what Parliament means?
Comment on this
We cannot debate this. The Minister has given an answer. I am not responsible for the Minister's answers. I have said that on numerous occasions before, and I have gone on now to Question No. 25.
Comment on this
Does that mean that, if the Minister declines to give the information when answering the question, that is entirely acceptable?