Arising from the Minister's detailed answers given to the last 15 or 16 questions I should like to know if, in view of the fact that a Government Deputy has had to resort to the parliamentary question procedure to get such replies, there is any way she can speed up such factual information either directly to the person concerned or to the Deputy, or representative, on the person's behalf? Obviously, the information given is factual, clear and up to date. If it is seen that a Deputy using this procedure can get replies very quickly the other 165 Deputies will adopt a similar course. Can the Minister introduce a procedure which will enable individuals, whom we are all concerned about, to get such information as has been outlined in the answers to the questions tabled by Deputy Donnellan?

Obviously, where any decision has been made about any individual that individual is more aware than any representative of the action that has been taken. Such people are the first to know when a pension book is issued because it arrives at his or her door.

Some of the replies given are honest and straightforward and the factual information must have been conveyed to some of those mentioned in the questions as long ago as September, six or eight weeks ago, and surely that information could have been conveyed to the Deputy in the meantime rather than delaying the House? The Minister has told the House in some of the replies that the information was available to somebody as far back as last September. It is now 11 November.

I am not responsible for the timing of the question or of the correspondence. I am not to know who is going to table a question or when. My responsibility is to ensure that questions are answered fully.

I am not arguing that point with the Minister but arising from the information that has been given to the questions mentioned I should like to know if there is any way the Minister can alter the system in her Department to give replies to representations by individuals and those who make representations on behalf of such people in a speedier manner than at present? Deputy Donnellan is entitled to put down such questions but so also are the 165 other Members and the Minister of State will be sitting here for the rest of the term answering such questions if that procedure is followed by all Members.

Payments are being made now and they were not being made this time last year. I was on the Opposition side a year ago and this was not happening.

Why are these questions down?

The same attention and speedy response is given to representations that come direct to the Department and my office as is attempted to give here. We give the same attention to correspondence that comes directly to the office as we do to parliamentary questions.

Is the Minister now accepting that Deputy Donnellan, because of the unsatisfactory nature of the replies he received from the Department in relation to these problems, was forced to table these questions?

I did not say that.

The Deputy did.

I wish to ask a supplementary.

Deputy Brady will have to move to the next question. There can be no supplementary on these questions because they all relate to individuals about whom we do not have any information.

Has Deputy Donnellan received any response to his representations? If so I should like to know if the response was similar to the replies read out today.

We must move on to Question No. 35.

35.