Will the Minister make the information I requested available to us?

Perhaps it might help the Deputy if I explained that we are examining a number of different possibilities. You do not buy parliamentary draftsmen off the shelf. The training of parliamentary draftsmen, even in respect of people who have quite a range of legal qualifications, takes quite a time and the lead-in time with regard to drafting is considerable. In order to assist the Attorney General's office we are looking at various methods whereby the pressure that may come on the office from time to time will be relieved. However, I can let the Deputy know the establishment number and the numbers currently serving.

Will the Minister tell the House the number of so-called Bills that are held up because of the lack of parliamentary draftsmen?

I do not have that information. As the Deputy is aware, there is always a queue of draft legislation or heads of Bills awaiting attention by the parliamentary draftsmen. If that were not the case it would mean that Departments were not engaged in the business of preparing heads of Bills. There is a considerable amount of work in the conduit between Departments, the Government and the Oireachtas at any one time.

There is nothing before the House.

I would have thought the House was fairly busy during the past few weeks.

There is very little on the Order of Business.

If the Order of Business took less time there might be more time for legislation.