It is proposed to take Business in the following order: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 15. Private Members Business will be taken from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business. I put a Private Notice Question to you in connection with the matter that closes on Friday at 3 o'clock. Because it closes at 3 o'clock on Friday it seemed to me an urgent matter that should be dealt with today. There may be an answer by the Minister for Finance to this question. That is not the point. The point is that unless the question is dealt with today there is not sufficient time for the smallholders of 7½ per cent development stock——
The Deputy may not discuss this question. This is completely out of order. There may be no debate on the ruling. I have already conveyed to the Deputy the reason for disallowing this Private Notice Question.
The reason for disallowing it did not take notice of the urgency of the matter. The urgency of the matter is that by the action of the Minister for Finance individual smallholders are——
The Deputy cannot discuss the matter.
I would ask the Taoiseach——
This is most disorderly, and the Deputy knows it is disorderly. The Deputy will please resume his seat.
Will the Taoiseach when an advertisement appears in the papers tomorrow do something to prevent smallholders being debarred from their rights?
I did all I possibly could to help the Deputy and he is getting an opportunity of raising this in the House.
That is not true.
Of course it is true.
It is a matter of urgency that is covered by Standing Orders, but the Minister for Finance overbore you.
The rules in relation to Private Notice Questions are very stringent and the Deputy's question did not fulfil them.
It is very clear that the urgency of the question is the thing that matters.
Anyway, as the Deputy knows, it is out of order to raise the matter in this fashion.