Ministerial replies to Deputies’ letters
Molloy asked whether a Minister should provide information by letter when a related question is pending on the Order Paper; the Chair said the matter required a separate question, and no ministerial answer was given.
This concerns a very serious principle which affects all Deputies. I want to ask the Minister a question to establish what the practice is in her Department.
Comment on this
I will not hear the question. The matter we are now getting into head and heels arose because the Chair allowed Deputy Faulkner to ventilate something which he thought was peculiar to the question he had on the Order Paper. The Chair, having heard Deputy Faulkner, made it perfectly clear that he thought it was not in order and that it was not to be taken as a precedent. I will not allow the matter to be extended into a general discussion here. I am sorry Deputy, I will not hear you.
Comment on this
The Deputy can ask a question provided it is not travelling the same ground as Deputy Faulkner.
Comment on this
Has the Minister any objection to giving information to a Deputy about a matter about which there is already a question on the Order Paper? Does she see any difficulty in writing information to a Deputy because the question is on the Order Paper or does she feel inhibited from giving a reply to a Deputy until such time as the Order Paper question has been answered? Could she state what the practice is?
Comment on this
Another Minister has adopted the practice of refusing to answer questions in letters written by Deputies on the grounds that a question about the same matter is on the Order Paper and the Deputy will not be given the information until the question on the Order Paper is answered. Does the Minister adopt a different practice?