It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 3, 4 and 8 (resumed). Private Members' Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., No. 26 (resumed).
Order of Business.
Is it the Taoiseach's intention to make a statement to the House this week about the industrial relations situation?
The Deputy has raised that on numerous occasions and he was told that he could not raise it at this stage. The Chair must tell him the same thing today. We had a debate on this last Friday in which the Deputy could have participated if he wished.
(Interruptions.)
That was on Industry, Commerce and Tourism.
But it dealt very fully with industrial relations. One way or the other the Deputy has already been told he cannot raise it at this stage.
Since then, a Minister of the Government has made a very serious speech on the matter.
The Chair is telling Deputy Mitchell that he cannot raise it at this stage and the Taoiseach cannot reply to him.
I wish to know, on the order of business——
Will Deputy Mitchell obey the Chair?
On the order of business, I am trying to ask if the Government propose to make a statement this week on the industrial relations situation and on what they propose to do about it. Secondly, will the Taoiseach state whether the views expressed by the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism are his views and the Government's views in view of the serious implications?
That is not relevant. Deputy Mitchell was told on about four occasions last week that he is out of order in raising the matter at this stage and he knows that.
It is serious enough to press for it to be raised in the House. This House is irrelevant if we cannot discuss urgent matters of the day.
Will Deputy Mitchell please obey the Chair?
This is a very serious situation. Many jobs are threatened by the Aer Lingus and the Alcan strikes and I want to know what the Taoiseach is going to do about it.
Will Deputy Mitchell please obey the Chair. Deputy Mitchell was told on about four occasions last week by the Ceann Comhairle that it is not relevant to raise a matter of that kind at this stage and it is completely out of order for the Deputy to persist.
I do not mean to fight with the Chair or to be out of order——
The Chair has asked the Deputy to resume his seat.
I am——
The Chair has asked the Deputy to resume his seat.
Could I ask the Chair's guidance on a point of order?
The Chair has asked the Deputy to resume his seat.
Could I ask the Chair's guidance on a point? How do I get the Taoiseach to state whether or not there will be a debate?
The Chair is not going to give the Deputy guidance on a matter when he persists——
(Interruptions.)
If the Deputy wishes to persist in being disorderly——
I have a duty to raise these matters in the House.
Not when the Deputy is told that he is not relevant in raising them.
Sometimes we have to raise them.
I wish to give notice of my intention to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 38 on last Tuesday's Order Paper.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I am giving notice that I intend to raise on the Adjournment Question No. 6 on today's Order Paper.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 12 on today's Order Paper.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
In view of the unsatisfactory reply to Question No. 16, will the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry indicate to the House that he was going——
The Deputy cannot raise the matter now, he cannot make a statement.
——visiting to Donegal for the purpose of attending a Fianna Fáil dinner dance——
Has the Deputy a matter to raise?
Yes.
Then raise it, please——
I am giving notice——
——but not by making a long statement. The Deputy must think the Chair is very simple at this stage.
(Interruptions.)
I am giving notice——
Which question does the Deputy wish to raise?
I propose, as a result of the unsatisfactory——
What is the number of the question, please?
As a result of the unsatisfactory reply to Question No. 16, I am——
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
The Chair has not got the subject matter.
I have got it about four times already.
I wish to raise the general question of the behaviour of the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry during his visit to County Donegal.
The Deputy is making a statement which he is not entitled to make.
I did not get the benefit of the Chair's guidance——
Nor will the Deputy get it. The only guidance the Deputy will get from the Chair is not to raise irrelevant matters.
Is the Chair contending that industrial relations are irrelevant to the Dáil?
If the Deputy wants guidance he can always go to the Ceann Comhairle's office and he will be well looked after.