Communications, Marine and Natural Resources won't answer

mayo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday August 11, 2005 01:14 by Éamonn Ó Flannagáin cupla2 at gmail dot com 086 066 1055

Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources won't answer questions

Two weeks on and I can't get an answer about Corporate Hospitality, if any, accepted by Civil Servants from Shell. A simple "Yes" or "No" would suffice.

I've spent the past two weeks fruitlessly trying to get answers from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the simple question "did Petroleum Administration Division (PAD) officers accept Corporate Hospitality from the SHELL Consortium?". The first answer which I dragged out of the Department was that "PAD knows nothing about this".

I went back again to be told "acceptance of Corporate Hospitality, if any, would be a matter for Officers in their private capacity". I rubbished the reply because Civil Servants are 24/7 people. I was appalled that it might be acceptable for Civil Servants to wine and dine with a company that they were supposed to "monitor".

I went back with more questions and received a copy of the Department's policy on gifts and hospitality which outlines the rules all staff MUST follow in relation to accepting any gifts or hospitality. The earlier statements from the Department do not fit with this policy.

The Department has stated in writing that it will not be responding to my question "did PAD officers accept Corporate Hospitality from the SHELL Consortium". To add insult to injury, the Department has suggested that I might wish to pursue the matter though the Freedom of Information Acts. This, of course, could cost me upwards of 250 EURO and postpone an answer for many years.

Why does the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources refuse answer my questions? A simple "Yes" or "No" would suffice.

Maybe it's time for Government to drop the word Communications from the Depatment's long-sounding name.