asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated number of persons now entitled to free transport under the schemes administered by his Department consequent upon the recent lowering of the qualifying age.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Transport.
65.
The estimated number of persons now entitled to free transport under the scheme administered by my Department is 264,000.
Will the Chair inform the House how many Ministers were not here to answer their questions?
That is not a matter for the Chair.
Have we any Government?
I would point out to Deputies that it is almost 4 o'clock.
Can we not wait until 4 o'clock? Perhaps the Minister for Local Government or some member of the Government might come in. Could we call for a quorum so that we might go ahead with the Finance Bill at 4 o'clock? Not a quorum of Ministers because that is not possible today.
I take it a quorum has been called for.
I wish to give notice that I wish to raise on the Adjournment on behalf of Deputy Briscoe, who mentioned this after Question Time last week, the subject matter of Question No. 84 on the Order Paper of Thursday, 18th July, 1974.
I will communicate with Deputy Wilson on the matter. The Finance Bill will now be resumed. Did Deputy Collins call for a quorum?
I am afraid you cannot, Sir, until you get co-operation from the Government. We ran out of Ministers for Questions and we had to stop. Is there a joint party meeting on at the moment?
The Chair has no knowledge of political matters of that kind.
Some of the Chair's colleagues may be at that meeting. Have the Government resigned?
Deputy Mrs. Hogan O'Higgins took the Chair.
There is a regular Sir Walter Raleigh.
I do not like imperialistic references before 4 o'clock.
Have the Government resigned, Madam Chairman?
Acting Chairman
Have patience. We have all the time in the world.
The Government are having words. The Minister for Finance is being courtmartialled.
I propose Deputy Colley as Minister for Finance. Do you accept that, Madam Chairman?
Let the wish be father to the thought.
Acting Chairman
The Minister for Finance has arrived.
Can the Minister tell us what happened at the courtmartial?
I am very sorry, Madam Chairman. It is very difficult to see deputations and be in the House at the same time.
I will bet they were not farming deputations.
I have received more deputations from farmers this year than ever occurred in the history of the State.
And a fat lot of good it did them.
We will see how they influenced the Minister in an hour or so.