Page 3921 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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I presume that this reduction of two staff in the administrative unit is what is of concern to Ms Maher; but I am afraid that, in difficult budgetary times, those sorts of savings have to occur. And I think it is better to make the saving at the administrative level than at the service delivery end.
MS MAHER: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, will you please explain, if you have just confirmed that reduction, what you meant when you categorically denied that there would be any reduction in the staff in this area, during the evidence you gave to the Estimates Committee on 8 October? I wish to read into the Hansard questions and answers from page 751.
MR SPEAKER: It is hardly a supplementary question, if you are going to read that into - - -
MS MAHER: Well, it is relating to Mr Connolly's - - -
MR SPEAKER: No new information or material is to be presented in a supplementary question. Have a look at your standing orders. You could just ask the question without reading that in, and do that at a later stage. You could seek leave after question time.
MS MAHER: Will the Minister confirm that he categorically denied that he would have a reduction in staff, and said that there would not be a reduction in staff, in the information he gave to the Estimates Committee? Did he mislead the Estimates Committee? If so, was it unintentional or intentional?
MR CONNOLLY: I will obviously look at the transcript; but my answer to the repeated question was that I did not have the names, addresses, telephone numbers, hair colour or photographs of staff positions that were going away. That was my repeated answer and you repeatedly failed to accept it. So, given that, I would find it implausible that I would have given some categorical assurance that any single administrative unit would "no, no, never, ever" have any staff reductions.
I am not, indeed, today confirming to Ms Maher that a particular ASL in a particular unit has been reduced from 4.5 to 2.5. I will take it on the assumption that what she says is right and confer with my officers afterwards, look at the transcript, and report to the house. But, no, I certainly, to my knowledge, have not said anything other than that negotiations were occurring as to where staff positions would be saved.
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