Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

Yes. Why, for example, when I asked a question as to whether the Taoiseach had met personally with the EU-IMF delegation during their visit, was that transferred? When I asked a question about the Taoiseach's role in the Economic Management Council, that question was ruled as being subject to Cabinet confidentiality. In addition, a document that we got as new Deputies referred to the fact that the Taoiseach was supposed to answer questions on economic and social affairs. However, time and time again, when I table questions on economic affairs, which is the area of most public concern, they are all transferred or disallowed. It is unacceptable for the Taoiseach to say that a question should go to the Minister for Finance, particularly in the current economic climate. The Minister for Finance is up for questioning every four weeks approximately. Given the scale, depth and severity of the economic crisis we are facing, which is a fluid situation that is moving on a daily basis, as public representatives we must have an opportunity to ask the Taoiseach about those developments in our country's economic situation.

While it is absolutely justified and legitimate for the Taoiseach to bat off detailed questions about economics or the country's finances to the relevant Minister, if we are asking questions about how to deal with the broad strategic orientation of our economic and financial policies in relation to the current economic crisis, the Taoiseach should answer those questions instead of batting them off, transferring them or telling us that they are subject to Cabinet confidentiality. Given all the right talk about a new type of Government and politics, transparency and open government, it is not acceptable to have questions on these key issues batted off to some Minister or disallowed on some spurious basis.

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