Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Nov 1925

Vol. 13 No. 10

STATEMENTS MADE OUTSIDE DÁIL. - PROTEST BY DEPUTY.

Mr. GOREY

Before the Dáil proceeds with the business of the day, I desire to raise a question. I do not know whether it can be called a point of order or a question relating to the decency of the House. In connection with the debate on agricultural credit societies, certain statements were made by Deputies last Wednesday. On Sunday last, a Deputy who was listening to the debate was down the country and he misrepresented certain statements. I could use a stronger word in regard to his action. This Deputy who went down the country, who was present during the debate, and is present now, said that "some of the Farmers' representatives, Messrs. Gorey and Heffernan, got up in the Dáil a few days ago and said that 90 per cent. of their cattle were diseased. Was not that a nice way to run down their country? Was it any wonder the store cattle trade should be as it was? They said last year the country was reeking with fluke."

Now, what was said with regard to the 90 per cent.—as far as it was connected with my name—was this: "If you ask butchers in our slaughter yards about English, Scotch and Irish cattle, they will tell you a considerable percentage of the livers of these animals, with our rainfall, was not in anything like perfect order and is not yet." That is what was stated here, and yet we have a Deputy going down the country making the statement I have referred to. I will not make any comment. If I do so, I might say a little too much. Some of us do not wonder what comes from that particular Deputy.

Mr. NOLAN

If Deputy Heffernan will read his own statement in the Dáil he will realise what he said. He did not say that 90 per cent. of the cattle were diseased, but he said 90 per cent. of the cattle had fluke in the liver. I wonder how will Deputy Gorey stand for that?

Mr. GOREY

I beg your pardon?

Mr. NOLAN

Deputy Heffernan, in explaining his statement here on Friday, said he did not say that 90 per cent. of the cattle were diseased, but he said that 90 per cent. had fluke in the liver. It amounted to the same thing.

Mr. GOREY

I want some justification as to why my name was mentioned. I have nothing to do with what Deputy Heffernan said.

Mr. NOLAN

Deputy Gorey made the same explanation.

AN CEANN COMHAIRLE

This is the very same point that arose while Deputy Nolan was speaking last Friday. If I can recollect my own words aright, I said I would give Deputy Gorey, Deputy Heffernan and the Minister for Lands and Agriculture an opportunity of explaining what they meant. That, in debate in the Dáil, is the best thing I can do when a misunderstanding as to what has actually been said arises between Deputies. As to what transpires outside the Dáil I have no jurisdiction, and I feel that it is not for us to go into questions that arise outside the Dáil in debate between Deputies or between parties. Deputy Gorey has read out his own statement, and that, I think, is sufficient for the moment.

Mr. HEFFERNAN

In view of the fact that the Deputy has misrepresented a statement made by me, and in view of the fact that the newspapers gave publicity to this statement, I would ask you, sir, to see that the Deputy should be requested by the Dáil opportunity of explaining what they peared in the papers. If the statement that was published in the papers was a correct representation of what the Deputy said, it is a lie.

Mr. NOLAN

rose.

AN CEANN COMHAIRLE

I do not propose to allow Deputy Nolan to intervene in this at all. I do not think Deputy Nolan can make things a bit better. This is the identical question, as I said before, that arose last Friday. At one stage of the proceedings Deputy Nolan proposed to tell the Dáil what some unnamed person had told Deputy Nolan, what that unnamed person thought of the Farmers' Union. I did not allow Deputy Nolan to do that. It would have been a very improper thing to do. But I cannot ask Deputy Nolan to withdraw something he said outside the Dáil. On Friday, when he made a statement as to what he thought Deputy Heffernan said, I gave Deputies Heffernan and Gorey ample opportunity to explain what they meant. I think I also allowed the Minister for Agriculture to intervene and explain some matters of fact relative to that particular circumstance.

I think Deputies will realise that we cannot now go into matters that took place outside the Dáil. The debates are published——

Mr. GOREY

Very fortunately for the public.

AN CEANN COMHAIRLE

The debates are published, and the Press and the platform are open to any person who feels himself misrepresented. There are still other methods open for people who feel that they have been misrepresented in a particular way. We cannot grapple with the matter here and now.

Mr. NOLAN

Will you allow me to say a few words?

AN CEANN COMHAIRLE

No