It is proposed to take Business in the following order: Nos. 25 and 26.
Order of Business.
On a point of order and on the Order of Business a question addressed by me today to the Minister for Foreign Affairs asking him whether he had received representations from the International Red Cross is not on today's Order Paper. Although the question conformed with all the Standing Orders of the Díil, you, Sir, purported to disallow it on the grounds that the subject-matter of the question is being investigated by the Dáil Committee. You know well that the Dáil Committee is not inquiring into whether or not the Government received representations from the International Red Cross and I a_m, therefore, Sir, entitled to have that question answered and I now request that the question be put on tomorrow's Order Paper so that we may know whether the Government received these representations from the International Red Cross with regard to the manner in which the Government sought to use the Irish Red Cross for sending funds to Northern Ireland. That is not a matter being investigated by the committee; it is a matter on which Dáil Éireann is entitled to a straightforward answer.
It is out of order. It does not arise; it is a matter for the committee set up by this House.
Sir, with respect——
We cannot have any argument——
I am on a point of order.
It is not a point of order.
It is a point of order for me to say that it is not a matter——
The Deputy may come and see the Chair if he wishes to discuss the reason why I turned it down. It cannot be debated in the House at this time.
A Member is entitled to rise on a point of order——
No, it does not arise at this time as a point of order.
It is a point of order.
No. It is not in order. The Deputy was informed why it was not in order.
Sir, the Deputy is now saying that the Chair's ruling is a biased ruling and an interference with the rights of Members of this House.
That is nothing new from the Deputy; it is monotonous.
It is, Sir, and so is the conduct of the Chair, monotonously disorderly and an infringement of the rights of Members of this House to have a question asked——
Would the Deputy sit down? The Deputy has got enough publicity. Would he please sit down and let business continue.
The Chair is once again showing its unfitness by being rude to Members who have a right to assert.
The Deputy is disorderly.
The Deputy knows very well that there is a procedure under Standing Orders that he can follow if he is genuine but he is not trying to——
I am saying that I am not accepting this ruling of the Chair and I would ask for early Government time in order that a vote of censure may be decided with reference to the Chair's infringement of the rights of Members and the rights of the public to have matters of public interest answered here.
Will the Deputy please sit down?
We have the worst Parliament in the world for raising any matter because it will not be allowed by the Chair.
The Deputy is being grossly disorderly.
There is no option left to Members of this House except to bring these matters here in this public way and to assert the dignity and the rights of the Irish people to have their questions answered here without improper interference——
Will the Deputy resume his seat? The Deputy should not mention the word "dignity".
(Interruptions.)
I am asserting the rights of Members here.
The Deputy is being grossly disorderly.
And the Chair, as usual, is being grossly offensive.
——like the Deputy?
The Deputy is asserting the rights of Members here and making very fair comment on the Chair's conduct.
The Deputy is being grossly disorderly.
If the Irish people could see what Deputies here have to tolerate they would not be long in endorsing what I have said. I shall leave it at that for the moment.
The Minister for Finance knows all about the low standards in high places. He knew it before anybody else. It is a pity he did not take action at that time.
(Interruptions.)