Before the Order of Business there is a personal explanation by Deputy Corry.
Written Answer. - Personal Explanation by Deputy.
On Wednesday last here during the discussion on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, Deputy L'Estrange made the following statement:
It is very interesting to listen to Deputy Corry's remarks about decency, honesty and honour and about people putting up arguments and voting in this House. Deputy Corry is going out of the House and I want to remind him that he came in here and proposed amendments on the Cork Boundary Commission Bill and then went into the Lobby with Fianna Fáil to vote against his own amendments.
That statement is untrue to the knowledge not alone of Deputy L'Estrange but to the knowledge of every Deputy in this House. The facts are: this Bill was brought in from the Seanad on 11th March, 1965. It was objected to by my esteemed colleague over there, Deputy Dillon, and myself and was adjourned until 23rd March. In the meantime the Dáil dissolved and there was a general election. On 6th May the Bill was again introduced into this House and was objected to by Deputy Burton and myself, and adjourned. I moved the rejection of the Second Reading here on 26th May, 1965. I was one of the tellers in the division that followed in which Deputy L'Estrange passed me there voting for my own amendment. There was then a vote on when the Committee Stage would be taken and we were beaten on this by 50 votes to 12. Deputy L'Estrange voted again and passed me there and I a teller. The first amendment was taken on 10th June and was moved by me. It was beaten by 55 votes to ten, and again Deputy L'Estrange passed me and I a teller in that division. The second and third amendments were also beaten by practically the same number of votes.
The Deputy did not tell us yet which way he voted.
On Report Stage two amendments of mine were ruled out of order, and on a division the Fifth Stage was adjourned for one week, I voting for the adjournment. The Final Stage was taken on 23rd June, 1965, and was defeated by 70 votes to 12, the only time that Deputy L'Estrange did not vote with me. There were, in all, nine divisions on that Bill, on eight of which Deputy L'Estrange passed me there and I a teller and voted with me. Then he accuses me here of being dishonest, not decent, and of voting against my own amendments that I proposed here in the House.
We cannot have a discussion on this matter. The Deputy has been allowed to make a statement.
I merely wish to put the facts on record and to say that what Deputy L'Estrange has said is not true and it is in keeping with the attacks he has made here on Ministers of the Government.
Deputy Corry did not say that he also objected to the passing of every section of the Bill that night and the Chair completely ignored him. While he is talking about putting things on the record, let us put that on the record. The Chair ignored Deputy Corry when he objected to every Stage of the Bill.
Yes, and I called a division on each Stage. On any occasion I had neither the majority of the Labour Party nor——
Have we disposed of this matter of national importance yet?
(Interruptions.)