No. 331 NAI TSCH/3/S9361B
Memorandum for Government by the Department of External Affairs'Official News Agency and other steps relating to Partition'1
Dublin, 24 May 1949
- The Minister for External Affairs refers to the confidential memorandum submitted to the Government last January2 and to his memorandum of the 18th May, 1949.3 In the light of these memoranda, the Minister for External Affairs makes the following formal proposals.
- That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to have prepared the Articles and Memorandum of Association for the creation of a limited liability company to be known as 'The Irish News Agency'. The draft Articles and Memorandum of Association to be submitted to the Government for approval.
- That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to have drafted a bill enabling the Minister for Finance to hold shares in 'The Irish News Agency' and authorising the Minister for External Affairs to nominate the Managing Director and Directors of 'The Irish News Agency' with the consent of the Minister for Finance.
- To authorise the Minister for External Affairs to introduce a Supplementary Estimate for £25,000 as a grant-in-aid to 'The Irish News Agency'.
- That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to make the following additions to the headquarters staff of the Department of External Affairs:-
1 Assistant Secretary,
2 Counsellors,
3 First Secretaries,
5 Third Secretaries,
4 Clerical Officers,
4 horthand Typists
3 Typists. - That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to make the following additions to the staff of the Department of External Affairs in the United States:-
1 Counsellor in charge of Public Relations at Washington,
1 Consul in charge of Public Relations at New York,
1 Counsellor in charge of commercial affairs,
2 Third Secretaries at Washington,
3 Shorthand Typists from Ireland at Washington,
1 Shorthand Typist at New York,
3 Vice-Consuls (Third Secretaries) at Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. - That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to make the following additions to the staff of the Department of External Affairs in London:-
1 Public Relations Officer with the rank of Counsellor,
1 Third Secretary,
1 Shorthand Typist. - That the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to have prepared, printed and issued monthly, an official bulletin in accordance with the suggestions contained in paragraph 8 of the confidential memorandum circulated last January.
- That for the purposes indicated in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 hereof, the Minister for External Affairs be empowered to introduce a Supplementary Estimate for £47,885 in accordance with the details submitted herewith.