It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 6 and 9. Private Members' Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. No. 19 (resumed).
Order of Business.
May I inquire if the Taoiseach will indicate if Government time will be given to Motion No. 83 in view of the urgency of this matter?
I am sorry, Deputy, but it is not in order to raise this matter on the Order of Business.
May I ask the Chair for a guarantee——
I am sorry.
It is on the Order Paper.
Perhaps the Chair will be helpful and give a guarantee that this motion will be reached before the dissolution of the Dáil. I would like this motion to be discussed in the present Dáil and for that reason perhaps the Taoiseach will tell me if there is any possibility of its being reached before we have a general election.
(Interruptions.)
It is in order because it is on today's Order Paper.
I have to be orderly——
The Chair has ruled the question in order.
I have addressed my inquiry to the Taoiseach. What is the possibility of this motion being reached during the lifetime of the present Dáil? This is a simple question.
This is a Private Members' motion and it is for the parties to decide the precedence it will be given.
This is a most unusual motion in which the Government have a special responsibility——
I am sorry, Deputy, but we cannot continue along those lines.
I put down two Private Notice Questions to the Taoiseach in relation to the committee representing the relations of the Stardust victims. Can the Chair tell me why those questions were ruled out of order?
It is disorderly to attempt to raise the Chair's ruling on the Order of Business.
With your permission, Sir, I would like to raise on the adjournment the subject matter of question No. 1 addressed to the Taoiseach last Wednesday.
Has it not been the practice in the past that when questions were ruled out of order the reasons for doing so were given?
That has been done on some occasions but it has not been the practice. I have given my ruling and it is disorderly to raise the matter now. I have followed the usual procedure relating to these questions and, as they were not admissible as Private Notice Questions, they were ruled out of order.
From my experience of putting down Private Notice Questions on occasion, it has been the normal practice to give the reasons for refusing to allow them. I wonder why the Ceann Comhairle is departing from that.
I am sorry, Deputy, but it is disorderly to raise these matters here.
On a point of order, in regard to the way you conduct the business of this House, is it your practice when looking for precedents to see the minimum and most restrictive one and apply that to us and turn your back on 50 years——
I am sorry, Deputy, but I will not allow a discussion on this matter. I have followed the usual procedure.
No, Sir, you have not.
I have followed the usual procedure of this House. In this case the questions were found inadmissible to be taken as Private Notice Questions and were ruled out of order. I will not have any further discussion on this. Item No. 1.
Will the Chair be in touch with me about my question on the adjournment?
Yes.
As Ceann Comhairle do you not think that, when the Deputy asks a question as I have done, he is entitled to the courtesy of a "yes" or "no" reply?
I have already explained the position to the Deputy.