Before Questions are taken, I wish to raise with you, Sir, a matter about which I notified your office this morning. When will certain questions which have been on the Order Paper for some weeks be taken? There should be some effort made in the conduct of the business of this House to take things in proper order. This matter would require only a few minutes' consideration so that certain questions addressed to the Minister for Local Government and, more particularly, to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, would be taken. I understand that these questions will not be taken this evening. All Ministers are of equal status in this House, except that the Minister for Finance is supposed to come after the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. In these circumstances, there is no reason why questions should not be rotated. I am raising a point of proper procedure and order and I want an answer.
Business of Dáil.
The Deputy is out of order in raising it in this fashion, but since he has raised it, I should like to say that I have every sympathy with Deputy Dr. O'Donovan and the other Deputies who have questions on the Order Paper for weeks still awaiting a reply. Although the Government have given extra time, more than the three hours a week allowed by Standing Orders, we are still in arrears and there does not seem to be any possibility of catching up on those arrears.
Questions have been answered which were put down long after the questions which were addressed to the young Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. The reference to him as a young Minister for Posts and Telegraphs is relevant to the questions I put down to him, because Ministers apparently may be young but other people have to be old. I submit that there is no difficulty whatever in rearranging questions so that those questions which are carried over from one week would take precedence, after those addressed to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, over those put down for the following week.
If there were fewer supplementaries the Deputy's questions and the questions of other Deputies would be reached.
If I put a supplementary, I put it in a short compass. I do not make the kind of statement the Tánaiste makes here when he reads us a lecture every time he is asked a supplementary question.
Ceisteanna——
You have not really replied to my point.
We cannot debate the matter.
Is it not the intention to finish Questions today?
Questions Time will be until 4.30 p.m. I feel Questions can be finished by that time.
In certain circumstances, yes.
This is a serious matter.
It cannot be raised in this manner.
I certainly can raise it.
No. The Deputy is out of order.
Will you give me a straight answer, Sir? Will you tell me how I can raise it.
The order in which questions are placed on the Order Paper is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, not for the Chair.
With respect, I think the Chair should approach or direct the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to examine this matter, or are we going to go into recess without certain questions being answered, the same as the Bill which was put down by the Labour Party, which is still on the Order Paper six months after it was put down, with no reference at all to it.