I wish to give notice that I intend to raise on the Motion for the Adjournment the subject matter of Questions 3 and 4, and the refusal of the Minister to answer those questions.
Public Business.
What does the Deputy propose to raise?
The unsatisfactory reply of the Minister to Questions 3 and 4.
The Minister simply refuses to give any answer.
Should not the Minister for Finance give to any Deputy a list of salaries paid to public officials?
That is not a question for the Ceann Comhairle.
I think that that is what Deputy Corry wants to raise.
The Deputy wants to raise the Minister's refusal to answer a particular question.
The position is——
I know the position. When a Minister refuses to answer a particular question, the point is whether the Adjournment proceedings are a suitable opportunity for raising that particular matter. It seems to me that the Adjournment proceedings are not suitable. There is nothing to be discussed. What the Deputy requires is to get an opinion from the House as to whether the question ought to be answered. The Ceann Comhairle has no authority in the matter. The only solution is to get an expression of opinion from the House, but that cannot be got on the Adjournment Motion. That is in general, and also in regard to this particular question.
The position is that the De-rating Commission has cost——
That has nothing at all to do with it. The position is that there is a question on the Order Paper and the Minister refuses to give the information asked for. That can only be dealt with by motion. When that situation arises on any question it can only be dealt with on a substantive motion.
We would like to hear again the grounds on which the Minister refuses to give the information.
I am not going to help Deputy Corry to carry on any dirty attack on public servants.
Deputy Corry does not want to carry on any dirty attack on public servants. I want to know what the majority report of the De-rating Commission cost the taxpayers of the country, and I think I am entitled, and the people are entitled to that information.
If the information asked for is refused, the matter can only be dealt with by way of motion. It must be clear to everybody that the adjournment proceedings would not have any result.
Might I call attention to the fact that if all the Deputy wants to know is what the report cost——
The majority report.
Has the Deputy read the report?
I have.
I would advise the Deputy to re-read it and he will get the information.
He will not. He will find the cost of the majority and the minority reports.
By a process of adding and subtracting the Deputy will get it.
We cannot discuss that question now when we cannot discuss it on the Motion for the Adjournment.
The President asked——
I did not allow the President to go into the matter, and I do not propose to allow Deputy Aiken to go into it either.