|
|
|
Dáil Éireann - Volume 331 - 16 December, 1981 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Non-Established Civil Servants. Mr. Briscoe Mr. Briscoe 9. Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Education the positions previously held by non-established civil servants appointed by him and his Minister of State since 30 June 1981. Mr. Boland Mr. Boland 2129 Mr. Boland: The information requested was given in the reply to Question No. 129 on Wednesday, 2 December 1981 in relation to the officers mentioned in that reply with the exception of the three appointments to the posts of personal assistant. These three officers were [2129] previously employed as secretarial assistants to the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: Is the Minister stating that the reply of 2 December covered all the appointments or has there been one additional appointment apart from the appointment of a personal assistant? Mr. Boland Mr. Boland Mr. Boland: The information in the reply to the question of 2 December covered all the appointments up to the date referred to and the information in this reply is in relation to those appointments. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: But has there been an appointment since then? Mr. Boland Mr. Boland Mr. Boland: Yes. The information in the question of 2 December relates to appointments made up to 15 October but there has been an appointment since then. If the Deputy wishes I will obtain details of that appointment for him. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: Why was the information not included in the original reply? Mr. Boland Mr. Boland Mr. Boland: I understood that the question was an extension of the question tabled for reply on 2 December. The reply to this question was framed in the light of the answer to that question but I shall be happy to forward to the Deputy the additional information. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: I wish to draw the attention of the House to the question on the Order Paper which refers to appointments since 30 June 1981. There is no other date mentioned. Consequently, I would have expected the Minister to answer the question by giving the up-to-date information but since he chose not to do so I should like an explanation from him in the matter. Mr. Boland Mr. Boland 2130 Mr. Boland: There was no attempt on my part to cause confusion. As I have explained the reply was framed in the light of a reply given to an earlier question. That reply apparently related to appointments made up to 15 October. There has been one subsequent appointment, [2130] the details of which I am prepared to obtain and forward to the Deputy. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: Is this not an occasion on which the Minister should apologise to the House for leaving out of the reply information that he should have included? I am not saying that he misled the House deliberately. Mr. Boland Mr. Boland Mr. Boland: As I have explained, the additional information was not included in the reply on the grounds that that reply was based on the supposition that the question was an extension of the one answered a fortnight ago. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: I accept that, but since the Minister is appointing members of Fine Gael to his office, can he tell us if there has been any change in the rule that forbade civil servants above the rank of clerical officer from taking part in political activities? Mr. Boland Mr. Boland Mr. Boland: Sin ceist eile. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: All I can say is that the House is being insulted deliberately by the Minister. Mr. Power Mr. Power Mr. Power: You, Sir, have told the House often that you have no control over Ministers' answers, but surely you have control in regard to what is the obvious changing of a question and when a Minister infers that a date was written in though that was not the case? An Ceann Comhairle John F. O'Connell An Ceann Comhairle: It is the content over which I have no control. Mr. Power Mr. Power Mr. Power: In this case there was an effort to re-write the question. An Ceann Comhairle John F. O'Connell An Ceann Comhairle: Perhaps the effort was to re-write the answer. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: May I have an answer to my question about the rule forbidding civil servants above the level of clerical officer to engage in political activities? Is that rule still in existence? Mr. Boland Mr. Boland 2131 Mr. Boland: The proper reply to that [2131] question would be very educational but it should be directed to a different Minister. Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson: I shall address it to the Minister for the Public Service, I might get a straight answer from him. Dáil Éireann 331 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. Non-Established Civil Servants. Questions 19811216
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
