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IMEACHTAÍ AN CHOISTEPROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEEDé Máirt, 27 Meitheamh, 1972Tuesday, 27 June, 19721. The Committee met at 7.30 p.m. 2. Members Present. The following members were present:— Deputies Barrett, R. Burke, E. Collins, Dowling, FitzGerald, H. Gibbons, MacSharry, and Tunney. 3. Mr. E. F. Suttle (Comptroller and Auditor General) was in attendance in an advisory capacity. 4. Election of Temporary Chairman. Motion made (Deputy McSharry): “That in the unavoidable absence of the Chairman, Deputy Collins do take the Chair for this meeting.” Question put, and agreed to. Deputy Collins took the Chair accordingly. 5. The Committee resumed consideration of communications (not printed) received from witnesses who gave evidence in private on the question of publication of their evidence. Motion made (Deputy FitzGerald): “That the Committee consider the publication of each booklet of the Minutes of Evidence taken by it in private, having regard to (a) the Committee’s duty to report to the Dáil as fully as possible on the evidence given to it, (b) the desirability of avoiding embarrassment to individuals who have given such evidence whose identity might become known if the evidence were published, and (c) the willingness of the witnesses concerned to agree to the publication of their evidence.” Amendment proposed (Deputy Tunney): “To delete all words after the word ‘That’ and substitute ‘the Minutes of Evidence taken in private be not published’.” Question:— “That the amendment be made”—put. The Committee divided. For, 5; Against, 3.
The Question was declared carried accordingly. Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to—Deputies Burke, Collins and FitzGerald dissenting. Ordered: That witnesses who gave evidence in private be informed that the Minutes of Evidence taken in private would not be published. 6. The Committee considered a letter* of 22 June 1972 from Mr. C. H. Murray, Secretary, Department of Finance, relating to the secret semi-official letter of 21 May, 1970. (i) Motion made (Deputy FitzGerald): “That the Committee publish the secret semi-official letter of 21 May, 1970, from the then Secretary of the Department of Justice to the Secretary, Department of Finance.” Motion, by leave, withdrawn. (ii) Motion made (Deputy FitzGerald):— “That a letter be issued to the Minister for Finance stating that the Committee intends to publish the secret semi-official letter of 21 May, 1970 from the then Secretary of the Department of Justice to the Secretary, Department of Finance, and that presumably the Minister will wish to duly authorise publication.” Question put. The Committee divided: For, 3; Against, 5.
The Question was declared negatived accordingly. (iii) Motion made (Deputy MacSharry): “That the Committee disregard the secret semi-official letter of 21 May, 1970 from the then Secretary of the Department of Justice to the Secretary, Department of Finance.” Motion, by leave, withdrawn. (iv) Motion made (Deputy McSharry):— “That the Committee do not publish the secret semi-official letter of 21 May, 1970 from the then Secretary of the Department of Justice to the Secretary Department of Finance or give the substance of it in its Report.” Question put. The Committee divided: For, 5; Against, 3.
The Question was declared carried accordingly. 7. The Committee noted a letter of 21 June 1972* enclosing a copy of the text of the Brief prepared for the former Minister for Finance in connection with the Supplementary Estimate for the Grant-in-Aid received from Mr. C. H. Murray, Secretary, Department of Finance. 8. The Committee noted* for consideration in connection with its Report a letter of 22 June 1972 from Mr. C. H. Murray, Secretary, Department of Finance in connection with the issue of money to the Irish Red Cross Society. 9. Adjournment. The Committee adjourned at 10 p.m. until 11 a.m. tomorrow. |
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