asked the Taoiseach if in view of a serious allegation that has been made regarding the conduct of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs he will now request the Attorney General to conduct a full inquiry into the matter.
Private Notice Question: - Allegation against Minister.
The circumstances of this case have been explained fully to the Dáil and there is no question of any form of inquiry being necessary.
Would the Taóiseach not agree that, in view of the obvious alteration of medical certificates and of the seriousness of that allegation, the minimum requirement in this case is an immediate investigation? Would the Taoiseach not agree further that because of the fact that, deliberately or otherwise, he misled the House yesterday — though perhaps he too was misled — the matter is now serious enough for him to realise the necessity to allay public disquiet and to conduct immediately an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a position that pertained at or about the time of the appointment by him of the Member in question to the Government?
No, Sir.
What is the Taoiseach afraid of?
In view of the exposé of this action that is alleged to have taken place in mid-December last at the time when the new Government were being appointed——
Has the Deputy a question?
——would the Taoiseach not agree that it is his responsibility to consider the suitability or otherwise of that Member to continue in the Cabinet and to realise also that there is an obligation on him as Taoiseach to display publicly that he is not covering up, endorsing or condoning actions that obviously have been taken? The Taoiseach is the person who is under investigation.
We cannot have a speech on the question.
The answer is no, Sir.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that he is the one who is denying the public the opportunity of having a full investigation being carried out by the appropriate people for the purpose of establishing to everyone's satisfaction what the position is?
That is a separate question.
The matter has been explained fully.
(Interruptions.)
May we have order for Deputy Gene Fitzgerald, please?
Has the Taoiseach something to conceal? How can he tell us that the situation was explained fully when yesterday he came here, spoke in derogatory terms about my colleague——
The Deputy cannot go on making a speech.
——while at the same time giving an explanation to the House which he admitted was not correct and for which in fact he apologised.
Will the Deputy please resume his seat? We are moving on to the next item.
Will the Taoiseach please answer the question I have put to him?
The Deputy was given permission to raise this matter by way of Private Notice Question and he has received an answer.
I have not had an answer.
The Chair has no control over how question are answered.
Is the Taoiseach condoning and endorsing the action and the alleged offence on the part of his Minister? I take his silence to mean that the answer is in the affirmative.
We must move on to the next item.
This is a black day for an Irish Government.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
Regarding a Private Notice Question put down by Deputy Noonan and myself concerning the Tuam sugar factory, I should like to know why the question was disallowed by your office in view of the disastrous economic and social consequences for the West of Ireland of the closure of the factory.
The reason for the question being disallowed was explained fully to the Deputy by my Private Secretary.
We have had Private Notice Questions on other factory closures.
I would appeal to Deputies to co-operate with the Chair in operating Standing Orders; otherwise it will not be possible to make progress with the business of the House. If the Deputy comes to my office I will go into the situation with him personally.
In view of the Taoiseach's failure to meet his commitments and responsibilities to this House I am seeking permission to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of my extremely important Private Notice Question.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.