It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Private Members' Business will be taken from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., No. 85 by agreement. Also by agreement it is proposed that the House will not meet until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow to enable Members to attend the Arbour Hill commemoration service.
Order of Business.
A Cheann Comhairle, I want to protest against your ruling that my Private Notice Question about action by the Government to offset the damaging effect of the rise in interest rates was ruled out on the grounds of lack of urgency. The matter is urgent. I cannot accept your ruling——
I am sorry. The Deputy was informed as to the reasons for my ruling and we cannot debate it.
In line with the precedent which has been given in the past, would you agree that the Taoiseach could now appropriately make a statement on the raising of the bank rate and on the implications for employment——
That cannot be raised. It is not a matter for the Order of Business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): In considering whether this is a matter of urgency, do you consider that the Dáil might not sit again for a considerable time?
That is not a matter for the Ceann Comhairle.
In view of the widespread confusion which exists because of the fact that local authorities who are expected to implement the scheme have no knowledge of the proposed housing package, would the Taoiseach be good enough to indicate whether appropriate legislation will be introduced?
This is not in order on the Order of Business.
I am asking when a Bill will be introduced in this House to give effect to the package promised.
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
I want to know if the Bill will be ordered and tabled.
When I raised this question last week the Minister for the Environment first of all tried to maintain that legislation was not necessary and then rolled back and said that legislation was necessary.
We are not going to have a debate on this matter.
(Interruptions.)
We are not going to have a debate on this. This is the Order of Business.
I am not asking for a debate.
What is happening at the moment is a debate.
There are two items I wish to raise. They are both matters of great importance in my constituency and I hope that you, Sir, will bear with me to allow me explain what they are. Firstly, I have no choice but to accept your ruling that my Private Notice Question in relation to the hijacking and burning of a bus in my constituency and the intimidation implicit in that of CIE crews was not a matter of public urgent importance because it was discussed last week in the Dáil. I wish to give notice that, as the question of intimidation was raised in the Dáil last week, I will seek to raise in the Dáil on the adjournment this evening the whole question and specifically the hijacking and burning of this bus.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Secondly, it has just been suggested to me that the Semperit factory in my constituency employing 500 people is about to close——
The Deputy cannot raise this on the Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, I ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the matter——
I am sorry, Deputy, this is not in order.
What action does the Taoiseach propose to take——
The Deputy is out of order.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy should not be starting scares.