It is proposed to take item No. 16, Votes Nos. 1 and 2, 6 to 17, inclusive and 28 to 33, inclusive.
Order of Business.
Surely the Minister will accept that I am not casting any aspersions whatever on his competence to conduct the Order of Business here this morning, but is there any possibility that he might give us an explanation of where the Taoiseach is, the Deputy Leader of his party and the Tánaiste? If we are going to have sittings on Fridays, to which we enthusiastically agreed on this side of the House, would it be too much to expect that the Government would give a reasonable performance on Fridays here? Particularly, may I ask the Minister if he would give us some indication about the Taoiseach's programme in regard to the Summit Meeting and what the arrangements are? Will there be any statements made and will the House be given some information about it, because it is a very important matter?
The Deputy answered the first part of his question in the second part by the reference to the meeting in Stuttgart. Obviously, that explains the absence of the Taoiseach.
When is the meeting?
The position is that the Taoiseach on his return from this meeting will be in a position to discuss, through the Whips, any request that the Opposition might make for a statement by him on the outcome of the meeting. It would be premature at this point for me to indicate any such arrangements until the Taoiseach has returned and until, as the Deputy will himself appreciate, a proper request has been made through the Whips for such time.
The Chair will intervene here briefly. It has been public property for some time that this meeting was coming on and, as the subject matter was not raised yesterday or the day before, I do not think it is in order on the Order of Business today, when the Taoiseach is not here.
It is completely in order. I submit that it is something which the House is entitled to hear from the Government. I suggest that we do not have to take our information from the media on a matter of this importance. Could the Minister tell me when the Summit Meeting is taking place and when the Taoiseach is leaving to go to that Summit Meeting? My information, garnered, as the Ceann Comhairle seems to suggest that I should take all my information, from the public media is that there is no reason why the Taoiseach could not be here this morning.
I understand that the Taoiseach left at 8.30 this morning for a meeting that is taking place today and it is perfectly understandable.
When does the Summit Meeting start?
Today. I understand that the Taoiseach had to leave in good time, obviously, to attend. I should be only too happy to deal with any request that the Opposition make for information.
Since when are explanations due on such matters?
I remember the day when Deputy Haughey introduced the Order of Business for the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch.
Order, please.
Since when does the Taoiseach have to give an explanation?
That was not the same thing.
It will be a long time before the Deputy gets such an opportunity.
Order, please. Deputy Woods.
The Chair has ruled that he cannot direct the Minister for Justice to refer the question ——
I am going to appeal to the Deputy.
On the Order of Business ——
If the Deputy has put me on notice that he is raising now — I do not know what he will say afterwards — a ruling that I gave ——
But the Chair has not heard it.
We need not be throwing up our hands.
We cannot put up our hands now.
Order, please. Deputy Woods who rose in his place and stayed in it, said that I had refused ——
No, that the Chair ruled ——
That I ruled, yes. That I ruled out a Private Notice Question yesterday.
I did not say that. I said that the Chair had ruled that he cannot direct the Minister for Justice to refer a matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
That is a reference to a ruling I made yesterday and that is not in order.
In view of the fact that the Chair has ruled that he cannot direct the Minister for Justice to refer a matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, I wish to ask on the Order of Business ——
Not alone is Deputy Woods now raising a ruling that I made yesterday but he is twisting that ruling and misquoting ——
That is not a nice word.
——the conversation we had. I am ruling that Deputy Woods is out of order.
I must be able to understand the rulings the Chair gives me.
My rulings cannot be discussed in the House and they will not be.
We are discussing your ruling——
The Deputy is questioning it.
I am not. I am accepting the Chair's ruling. If the Chair had allowed me to say more than two words he would have heard that. This is what happened to Deputy Connolly yesterday. The Chair would not let him make his case. However, that is yesterday's business and it is past. As far as today is concerned I accept the Chair's ruling that because of that situation you cannot make a ruling that it is open to the Minister, if he so wishes and desires, to refer the matter. I should like to ask on the Order of Business if the Government will provide time for a three hour debate on what is a very important question for the House because of the serious disquiet being raised outside the House.
The Deputy is now making a speech on this.
I am only asking a question on the Order of Business.
That can be dealt with through the Whips.
I am asking if the Government would be prepared to provide time for a three hour debate in this House on this subject so that public disquiet may be allayed.
The Deputy has asked his question and will now resume his seat.
That is all I wanted to say and I think it is very reasonable.
The answer is in the negative.
I will not have a debate on this. The question has been asked and answered.
I just want to say that this is regrettable.
May I have the indulgence of the Chair to raise for about 30 seconds a matter bearing on the business of the House? If this has been a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday I would have wished to ask for permission to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the threatened water supply in South County Dublin.
The Order of Business for today has already been ordered. There is no Adjournment Debate. There are no Questions and the Deputy may not raise any matter such as he is now trying to raise on the Order of Business.
I merely want to say what I would have done had it been a Tuesday or Wednesday.
That is not in order. The Deputy will resume his seat.
Do not give those fellows lessons.
(Interruptions.)
I am not being disorderly.
The Chair deprecates ——
Does the Chair wish me to name Deputy Kelly?
Those days are gone.
The Deputy is living in his past life.
All Deputies might do the Chair the courtesy of remaining quiet when the Chair is speaking. The Chair deprecates any subterfuge being used to make statements which are out of order. The Chair will not hear anything today on the Order of Business of the nature which Deputy Kelly tried to raise.
I only wanted to say——
The Chair is not interested in what the Deputy would have done had it been a Tuesday or Wednesday.
I will not mention Dublin good bad or indifferent. This happens on Fridays in every session and we agree to it. It is wrong it should be corrected.
Deputy Kelly has every opportunity to make a speech for one-and-a-half hours when the order was being made providing for business on Friday. He did not choose to do so and he is not entitled to do so now.
The Order of Business is ordered. It is not a debate. I would have been out of order had I debated it.
The order was made about a week ago.
The strike had not occurred then.
Will the Minister let us know when a date will be fixed for the amendment? I know the Taoiseach made at statement earlier in the week about it. It is an urgent matter. I am concerned that anti-amendment literature is issuing from Fine Gael headquarters.
I am surprised at Deputy Woods.
This is very serious.
The Deputy is being disorderly and he knows it well.
This House passed two Bills and the Government are delaying them at this stage. At the same time they are issuing anti-amendment literature from their party headquarters.
Deputy Woods is out of order.
It is disgraceful. The Taoiseach is out of order.