Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In spite of the Minister's self-professed 6 a.m. phone calls with the Attorney General from his office on the many mornings he is in early, has he confidence in and is he in charge of his Department if it took him 15 days to read a very important letter from the then Commissioner? I think the Minister informed us this morning that he got a phone call from the Taoiseach and that the first he heard about this was at 6 p.m. on Sunday but that it took him until 12.20 p.m. on Monday to read the letter. Surely the officials in the Department deal with the Minister. The Minister questioned Deputy McGuinness about not getting a letter but what guarantee have we that the Minister gets letters sent to him when the Commissioner's letter took 15 days to be read, although not dealt with, by him and in spite of the fact senior officials, the Commissioner and the Attorney General were in meetings about the very same topic?

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