Last week the country was informed that the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Dempsey, had used Civil Service resources in his Department to prepare election literature marked private and confidential for Fianna Fáil candidates in the local elections. After some reluctance the Taoiseach indicated that this was not a very serious matter. However, the Standards in Public Office Commission has initiated an inquiry into the matter.

Yesterday we had a report that the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Fahey, had used public resources and officially headed departmental paper for the purposes of fundraising for a Fianna Fáil candidate at a function at which the Taoiseach will be the guest speaker. It appears that some elements in Government do not understand the difference between right and wrong.

The Taoiseach is aware of the standards and code of conduct for office holders which states specifically in respect of Ministers: "Office holders are provided with facilities at public expense in order that public business may be conducted effectively... Holders of public office enjoy an enhanced public profile and should be mindful of the need to avoid use of resources in a way that could reasonably be construed as an inappropriate raising of profile in the context of a General Election." I assume the same applies in the case of all elections.

Mindful of the fact that prior to the previous general election civil servants were instructed by a serving Minister at the time only to issue "good news" letters, does the Taoiseach condone the actions of the Minister and the Minister of State? Will the Taoiseach instruct all Ministers as office holders, today if he has not already done so, not to abuse their ministerial privileges for political gain in the 44 days left in the run up to the local and European elections?

The information packs referred to were a collation of information publicly available regarding the work of the Department of Education and Science and its achievements over the past five years. They also contained information on special education and key facts about education in this country. All the information in the pack was in the public domain in one form or another, either by way of answers to parliamentary questions, Adjournment Debates or departmental websites and publications. Each pack contained a relevant county breakdown of the schools' building programme and showed the overall total that had been spent on school buildings, both primary and post-primary, up to 2003.

The information included in the packs is not a problem. However, the folders were Department of Education and Science packs and they should not have been used. That was wrong and I said that to the Minister. He should not have used Department of Education and Science folders for such information. I accept there was an error in that matter.

The letter sent by the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, concerning a party fundraising event was sent from his constituency office. It is totally inappropriate and, as Deputy Kenny pointed out, is in breach of guidelines. I made it clear to the Minister of State when I discussed the matter with him that the use of departmental notepaper for such correspondence is not permitted. He believed there was a distinction because it was his constituency office. However, there is not and the standard is clear. The code of conduct for office holders states in section 2.2.3 that public resources and official facilities should be used only for official purposes. In this case I accept what Deputy Kenny said and I will remind my colleagues that they were in breach of the code.

I thank the Taoiseach for his frankness and openness in this matter. I do not know what he said to both Ministers. Perhaps it might be appropriate if they were men enough to come to the House and apologise for their behaviour, as happened in 1996 when a then Minister of State and a more senior Minister apologised to the House for literature that was issued on officially headed notepaper.

Has the Taoiseach had any consultations with or contact from his partners in Government on this matter? In the 1996 incident, the now leader of the Progressive Democrats called for resignations over a similar matter.

No one will resign over this.

In that context both the senior Minister and the Minister of State involved came to the House to apologise for their conduct. It would, perhaps, be appropriate if the Minister and Minister of State in these cases did the same. I do not know if the Taoiseach has suggested that to them but it might be appropriate to do so.

I suggest to the Taoiseach, in everybody's interest, that an instruction should be sent to all Ministers and Ministers of State, who, after all, are office holders, that this particular privilege should not be abused in any way between now and the local and European elections, or at any time.

I will remind people of the code, particularly in view of the two breaches. We will comply with the code of the Standards in Public Office Commission. I do not think there is a difficulty about the information and I do not want to see restrictions on the provision of information from anybody. The Opposition also uses Departments in the information process. The use of the folder is the issue in the case of the Minister for Education and Science. In the case of party political issues, the rule is clear. One cannot use either constituency offices or Departments for information. I will point that out again. It is easy for people to make an error in these matters. The rules are tight now and we must comply with them. I will remind my colleagues of the rules.

What about an apology?

Fianna Fáil does not make apologies.

Is the Opposition saying it never uses——

I called Deputy Rabbitte. Allow him to speak without interruption.

The Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, apologised.

I want to——

I had the courage to apologise.

I cannot hear what the Minister of State across the way is saying.

Will the Labour Party and the Government Deputies allow Deputy Rabbitte to speak without interruption?

It is an odd time for the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, to decide to make an impact on the House. It would be the first speech I have heard him make. At least the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Roche, had a spectacular success in Wicklow. I read Mr. Kevin Myers on it. I do not know whether Deputy Roche read him. He wrote a worthwhile piece.

It was up to his usual high Pulitzer standard. I do not deserve it.