Seanad Éireann has passed the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1973, without amendment.
Seanad Éireann has accepted the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1973, without recommendation.
Messages from Seanad.
I had some questions submitted to the Minister for Transport and Power in connection with the stupid decision of CIE to close down Westland Row or Pearse Station to long distance trains——
This is not in order. The Deputy must appreciate that this matter——
I would like to know why these questions should be ruled out of order. I simply asked the Minister to use his good offices——
If the Deputy wishes to have the matter further explained to him, he may meet me in my office but I am not obliged to give an explanation to him in the House as he well knows.
At 20 minutes to two this afternoon I received a letter telling me that five questions which I had down to the Taoiseach regarding the release of the m.v. Claudia had been disallowed.
The Deputy may not raise this matter here at all.
This is a most serious matter. It would appear that a very serious error was made by the Government in releasing this ship. The question of the release of the ship——
The Deputy may not refer to this matter today. The Deputy is completely out of order.
Why not?
Deputy O'Malley must resume his seat.
Why?
Because the matter is sub judice.
I have disallowed the Deputy's Question. He may not challenge the right of the Chair in this matter and the Deputy must resume his seat.
I am not allowed to make any representations on this matter——
The Deputy knows full well that the questions were flagrantly out of order in referring to a matter which is sub judice.
Is it the fact that we are not going to be allowed to raise this very serious matter in the House at all?
It is proposed to take Business in the following order——
On a point of order— I am not raising the matter of questions being ruled out but of the procedure in that regard—I understand that the practice has been that Deputies were notified adequately in advance of the ruling of the Chair. Deputy O'Malley has mentioned that he was notified at 20 minutes to two; I was notified at two minutes to three. Could we find out what practice you intend to operate in future where you decide to rule questions out of order?
This was always the practice.
Is it the usual practice that Deputies are notified at two minutes to three on the day the questions are to be asked?
Yes, it is. It was always the practice under the Deputy's Government.
I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment, Sir.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.