Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the practice in her Department relating to the identification for legal and administrative purposes of her Department as an entity separate and distinct from her own legal personality as Minister, indicating whether contracts or other legal rights or liabilities are entered into, accepted or enjoyed in the name of her Department rather than in her own name; if so, the nature of those contracts, rights and liabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8181/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The practice in my Department is for all formal legal contracts to be entered into in the name of the Minister rather than the Department. This is because under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 the Minister for Education is recognised as a body corporate and is the legal personification of the Department.