asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will state in respect of himself and any Minister of State in his Department for the period 1 January 1980 to date: (i) whether any circulars on matters unconnected with his responsibilities have been sent on his behalf by post by officials of his Department to groups of his constituents, (ii) the number of different circulars involved and (iii) the estimated number of items mailed.

No such circulars have been sent out by me. Correspondence in my capacity as a Dáil Deputy is issued as appropriate and as the Deputy will be aware this is in accordance with well-established, long-standing practice. I do not have a Minister of State in my Department.

The question consists of three parts but I have not heard a reply on these. For instance, we have not been told the estimated number of items mailed.

The answer to that is contained in that part of the reply which reads:

Correspondence in my capacity as a Dáil Deputy is issued as appropriate and as the Deputy will be aware this is in accordance with well-established, long-standing practice.

The question asked was whether circulars on matters unconnected with the Minister's responsibility have been sent on his behalf by post by officials of his Department. Is the Minister of State saying that the answer is yes but that this is a matter of long-standing practice?

I am talking about correspondence in the Department.

Have any circulars in matters unconnected with the Department been sent on behalf of the Minister by way of post by officials of the Department?

The information that I have is that this has not happened.