It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 6 (resumed), 7 and 8 (resumed).
Order of Business.
Will the House have an opportunity of discussing the results of the Minister for Finance's discussions in Bonn?
No.
Does the Taoiseach think it wise that the Minister for Finance should pin so much hope——
Is this on the Order of Business? Is it in order at this stage?
It is very important.
I know it is important, but the Deputy had a chance to discuss it a few weeks ago and he barely arrived in time——
I am asking the Taoiseach if he thinks it wise that the Minister for Finance should pin so much hope on a discussion with civil servants——
(Interruptions.)
Order Deputy Fitzpatrick wishes to raise a matter.
This House should take every opportunity to discuss this situation and the Taoiseach should not run away from such a discussion.
On the contrary, we are the only Parliament to have debated this matter and we will probably be the only Parliament to have debated it twice.
There is no reason why we should not debate it again and again.
There is no reason why a European campaign should be carried on outside the House.
(Interruptions.)
We are discussing every phase of this area——
Order, please. Would Deputy O'Leary please resume his seat?
The only place Fianna Fáil wish to discuss the country's affairs is at cumann meetings, but it is time the Dáil had a chance to discuss these matters.
(Cavan-Monaghan): On the Order of Business, might I ask the Taoiseach if there is any member of his Cabinet who has overall responsibility for water supply, main road works, employment schemes and refuse collections? I ask this because I have been endeavouring to raise this matter in the House for some time.
The Deputy may not raise the matter now.
(Cavan-Monaghan): This is a legitimate question. I am asking the Taoiseach if there is any member of his Cabinet who has overall responsibility——
The Deputy has asked this question every day.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am asking the Taoiseach which member of his Cabinet has overall responsibility——
There are procedures for answers to such questions.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I can now add traffic lights to that list because I believe they too have gone out of order.
In case this practice develops, I want to tell the House that the only questions that can be asked are those on the Order Paper.
The traffic lights are burning red for this Government——
Order, please.
(Interruptions.)
(Cavan-Monaghan): May I take it that nobody in the Government has responsibility for or is interested in these matters?
We will proceed with the business of the House.
With your permission, Sir, I wish to raise on the Adjournment the consultations, if any, between the Minister for Education and the Higher Education Authority concerning the third level status request for the Dún Laoghaire School of Art.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Will the House have an opportunity in the near future to discuss the chronic industrial relations' situation?
Deputies may not continuously ask questions of this type on the Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, will we have an opportunity in the next week or two to debate the industrial relations' situation?
That is not a matter for the Chair, and the question is not in order.
In relation to item No.6, will Deputies be allowed to make contributions? At what stage is the debate?
The Minister will be replying.
We were given to understand that because of some confusion that had arisen——
The Chair will deal with that matter when we reach it.
Would it not be better if it were clarified on the Order of Business?
When we come to item No. 6 I will be calling on the Minister.
There was a great deal of confusion——
The Chair is aware of that.
——and the Minister gave the Deputy to understand that——
Whatever may have occurred, the Chair will call on the Minister to reply.
The Minister's reply consisted of the words "a Leas-Cheann Comhairle."
How does the Deputy know? He was not here.
The Minister hardly gave any indication to the House of what he was about to say.
The matter will be coming up in a few minutes. At this stage we will not discuss it.
This is a matter that should be clarified because it is not fair to expect Deputies to wait until the Minister gets on his feet——
The Chair will clarify it now as best I can.
A simple word from the Minister now would clarify the matter.
The Chair will speak. The Chair is responsible for order in the House. There was some question as to whether Deputy Blaney was entitled to speak today. That point was not clarified and he was told that the Chair will be ruling on that. Since then the Deputy has conveyed to the Chair that he will not be contributing.
Is the Chair aware that there were other Deputies who intended speaking?
There may have been.
They did not offer on the assumption that Deputy Blaney would be speaking.
The Minister will be concluding. I understand he was already called the last day by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle——
I understand he had not started to reply when Deputy Blaney offered. There were other Deputies here who were anxious to contribute but they did not offer because they understood Deputy Blaney would be speaking.
They were not here.
I did not get a reply from the Taoiseach. Will the House be given an opportunity next week to discuss the industrial relations situation?
The Deputy might consult with his Whip.
Will we have a chance to discuss it as a matter of urgency?
I am calling Deputy Keating.
I wish to give notice of my intention to raise on the adjournment, with your permission, Sir, the sinking of the oil tanker Christos Bitas and the Government's involvement in it.
I will communicate with the Deputy.