Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will clarify a situation whereby a directive from her Department prohibits staff in the building unit in Tullamore from responding to telephone enquiries by members of the Houses of the Oireachtas regarding the situation in relation to school building projects; the reason all enquiries by public representatives must be channelled through her Department's Press Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8553/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It has been the practice, and remains the practice, that when an elected representative makes an inquiry with the Department, they are directed to the Correspondence Unit attached to the Minister's office in the Department, which specifically deals with such queries. The Press Office deals with queries from members of the press only. There has been no change in this practice.

Recently, there has been a re-organisation of the Planning and Building Unit of the Department, with the newly established Developing Areas Unit set up to progress school building projects in rapidly developing areas. This is the only change that has taken place in recent times.