I ask for leave to move the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 29 to discuss the Taoiseach's intimation of a pay pause and whether it may be applied to lowly-paid city manual and white collar workers, county council road workers, and farm labourers, and whether corresponding steps will be taken to reduce the price of living costs for these groups.
Request for Leave to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 29.
I am thankful to the Deputy for giving me notice that he intended to raise this matter. The matter to which he refers is of public importance, but it lacks the degree of urgency contemplated by the Standing Order-an urgency which would justify the suspension of the Business of the Dáil to discuss it.
Surely there is nothing more urgent than the wages of the workers.
On that matter, could I ask the Taoiseach——
I have got no notice of the question.
I do not mind.
It is not a contentious one.
I do not want to establish a precedent.
There has been a fairly big one created already here to-day.
What is it?
That was a set-up by the Government. You know perfectly well you allowed it for no other purpose than to help the Taoiseach; and it is perfectly true this factory is laying-off workers and intends to lay-off more.
There is no truth in the Deputy's statement. It is a new device to destroy private enterprise.
The Deputy is the one to talk about that!
I cannot allow this to proceed.