I was here this morning and there was no mention of an adjournment of questions, that I recollect, at 3.30 p.m.
Business of Dáil.
Question Time has finished. I have allowed Deputies to go considerably beyond the time alloted.
I agree with Deputy Brugha. No adjournment was mentioned.
The business decided upon was Vote No. 8 and questions from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m., the discussion of Vote No. 8 to resume after questions. That was the Order of Business announced at approximately half past ten this morning.
(Dublin Central): It was always the practice that questions continued on Thursday afternoon until they were finished. Is this a new procedure?
Not necessarily.
(Dublin Central): We cannot do anything about it if the Order of Business was fixed this morning, but this is apparently a new procedure.
The Order of Business was fixed this morning and this is the procedure of the House for today.
Could I put it to the Chair that he might suggest to the House that we might finish questions? If the House is agreeable, I am certainly agreeable.
The Order of Business was fixed this morning at 10.30 and the Leader of the Opposition was present at the time and heard the Order of Business and we must adhere to that.
The Chair feels it would be wrong and a dangerous precedent to change the Order of Business at this juncture. The Taoiseach, the Leader of the Opposition and quite a number of Members were present here this morning when the Order of Business was announced. I presume this order was agreed upon by the Whips of the various parties. I am proceeding on to the business of the day.
Might I suggest, even at this stage, that we resume the debate on Vote No. 8 and the Whips might meet and, in half an hour's time, we could resume questions?
That is a matter for the Whips. The Chair is conforming to the procedure in Standing Orders and the business laid down in the Order of Business announced to the House.