It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 8 (Vote 4), 9 (Resumed), 10, 11, 12 (Resumed), 13 and 14. By agreement Vote No. 4 will be taken without debate. Private Members' Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. No. 20 (Resumed).
Order of Business.
What is being done to resolve the dispute in the news section of RTE?
That is not a matter for the Order of Business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): There is a lot of concern about it.
It is not in order on the Order of Business.
There are people in the single channel area who do not know what has been happening—
(Interruptions.)
It may be of concern to many people but it is not in order on the Order of Business.
Why not?
(Interruptions.)
On the Order of Business, when is it proposed to resume Item No. 19 in the Order Paper:
That Dáil Éireann approves the targets for economic and social development and the supporting policies set out in the Government's White Paper: Programme for National Development 1978-1981.
I do not think there is any particular wish to resume that debate. My information is that by now everybody who wished to contribute to that debate contributed. If the Opposition wish to pursue the matter further I suggest that they take it up between the Whips.
The matter was taken up between the Whips and it was indicated that Government time would not be made available for this debate. In view of the present economic circumstances quite a number of people might be willing to resume the debate.
My understanding was that the suggestion was for a general debate on the economy and that eventually the Opposition parties were prepared to settle for the arrangement being made about the Finance Bill.
No. I stated that we would not accept the Second Stage debate on the Finance Bill last week. We wanted a separate debate.
Deputy FitzGerald made the point of ensuring that the Second Stage of the Finance Bill could be widened to include general economic issues and I took it from——
That was when the Taoiseach refused the debate on the economy.
——our exchange that the Opposition were accepting that.
In view of what the Taoiseach has just said, may I take it that the Government have abandoned any attempt to achieve the targets set out?
We cannot have a debate on this.
(Interruptions.)
I put down a question to the Taoiseach, which is now down to the Minister for Finance as Question No. 116, to ask the Government what they would do to bring down the high level of inflation. The Taoiseach has passed this on to the Minister for Finance when it is clearly a problem for the Government and not for any one Minister, even though they are all guilty of having it at the present high level. The Taoiseach should answer that question.
We cannot discuss the transfer of questions.
Where and how can we discuss the transfers of questions?
It is not a matter for the Chair.
Exactly.
The Government have collective responsibility and it is a matter for them.
I agree that it is not a matter for the Chair but how do we ensure that the Taoiseach answers questions which are rightly his and that he does not pass them on to others?
This matter cannot be discussed here in the House.
Surely we have a right to know how we can get people to answer?
(Interruptions.)
This is not the place to raise it.
Where can I raise it?
That is not a matter for the Order of Business. It is not to be raised on the Order of Business.
It appears that the Taoiseach can avoid answering any question that he finds embarrassing by passing it on to other Ministers.
I have said on a number of occasions that the Government have collective responsibility for this matter. I am calling Item No. 8.
(Interruptions.)