It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 4, 5 and 9 (resumed); Private Members' Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.—No. 25 (resumed).
Order of Business.
I wish to give notice that I intend to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 38 on yesterday's Order Paper.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, yesterday when we were discussing the Finance Bill I asked the Minister for Finance on three occasions to comment on an article that appeared in one of the newspapers yesterday about the tax rebate for couples as a result of the Supreme Court case. Each time the Minister said it would come up later. In one newspaper this morning it is reported that a letter was issued to Deputies and another newspaper said that a Bill has been produced relating to this matter——
We cannot have a discussion on this matter.
Legislation is a matter for the Order of Business.
In no way can the Chair permit a discussion on this matter.
That is not so.
It is not in order.
The Irish Independent of today's date states:
Legislation published yesterday by Finance Minister Michael O'Kennedy aims at ensuring that any "extra" tax cannot be recovered.
We are entitled to hear what is this legislation.
When legislation is announced the Deputies will know about it and can then discuss it.
We should not have to read about it in the newspapers.
We are not going to discuss the matter on the Order of Business.
The newspapers may be incorrect and the Minister is entitled to deny what they have said.
We are not discussing it now.
We have read in the newspapers that legislation has been announced, that a letter was issued to Deputies about the contents of the Finance Bill——
I have told the Deputy the position. We will be discussing the Finance Bill presently.
We are entitled to know if there has been legislation, if amendments have not been notified to the House and if a letter has gone out to some Deputies and not to others about the Bill before this House.
The Deputy is discussing something that appeared in newspapers today.
We want an explanation.
This is not in order.
The Deputy will get an explanation and he will be disappointed when he gets it. He is raising a lot of steam about nothing. When the matter is raised at the appropriate time the Deputy will get a full explanation.
We want an explanation now——
I am not responsible for what is in the newspapers.
Is the Minister giving us an assurance that there is no truth in the newspaper reports?
Is he saying there was no letter and that there is no legislation?
I am calling item No. 1 on the Order Paper.
Perhaps we will be disappointed, in the Minister's words, that there is nothing in this. That is fair enough, but let us hear it. Two newspapers have announced this, clearly from a Government source——
The Chair has said that this may not be discussed now.
In relation to legislation we are entitled to know if there are amendments to the Bill that have not been circulated to this side of the House.
The Finance Bill will be before the House shortly.