With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I intend to raise the following question on the Adjournment: to ask the Minister for the Gaeltacht if he ever requested a Mr. Eamon Ó Foghlú to seek——
Business of Dáil.
Deputy, please——
It is a question on the Adjournment.
Is it a matter on the Adjournment?
It is the subject matter of a question on the Adjournment to ask the Minister for the Gaeltacht if he ever requested a Mr. Eamon Ó Foghlú to secretly approach an official of Údarás na Gaeltachta to supply confidential information on the operation of some Údarás na Gaeltachta companies to facilitate a Government inquiry, and if he is aware of the existence of a letter confirming that this request was made and that he will make a full statement in this matter.
The Chair will communicate with Deputy Molloy.
I wish to ask the Minister for the Gaeltacht if he is aware that the Secretary of his Department——
(Interruptions.)
I am not going to allow an impromptu question time now.
Question Time is over.
It is after 3.30 p.m. and questions now are late.
As I understand it, Sir, the Deputy was seeking your permission to raise a matter on the Adjournment.
It cannot be raised today because notice must be given before 3.30 p.m., as I was reminded not so very long ago, and it is now 25 minutes to four.
Could you inform the House as to the authority for such a decision?
It is in Standing Orders.
It has been a long-standing practice in my experience that at the end of Question Time a Deputy may rise and, with the Ceann Comhairle's permission, seek to have a matter raised on the Adjournment.
Not on Thursday——
It is appropriate for him to notify the Ceann Comhairle at that time. Question Time proceeds until 3.30 p.m. It is not possible to interrupt Question Time?
I refer the Deputy to Standing Orders as I was referred to them by a Member of his side of the House not long ago.
(Interruptions.)
I sought some advice on this matter before I rose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I refer the Deputy to Standing Orders.
You allowed me to raise the matter on the Adjournment. Why are you stopping the other Deputy from doing so?
I did not realise at that time that it was after 3.30 p.m.
It was after 3.30 p.m. and, in view of the fact that there were two remaining questions, one of which was being taken for written answer, you asked if the House would agree to go on and accept ordinary questions after 3.30 p.m.
No, I did not. They were two different things. Will the Deputy resume his seat?
Did the Ceann Comhairle accept a question after 3.30 p.m., Question No. 24?
The Ceann Comhairle asked if the House was prepared to dispose of the remaining questions. That is a very different thing.
It was past 3.30 p.m.
That does not suspend all Standing Orders. I have ruled and I am not going to allow it.
On a point of order, you informed me that you inadvertently gave me permission to raise a matter for discussion on the Adjournment because you did not realise that it was past 3.30 p.m. A few minutes before that you said that you wanted to know if the House would agree to proceed with questions after 3.30 p.m. You are contradicting yourself, and it is very difficult for a Deputy to make his point of order if you interrupt. We have rights also.
I am not going to argue with the Deputy. If he will refer to his Leader's statement in this House of 14 December last he will see that he deprecates all the Deputy has said. I am calling the Transport Bill.
On a point of order——
I will adjourn the House if I do not get order.
(Interruptions.)
Are you denying that you are contradicting yourself?
The House is adjourned until next Tuesday.
The Dáil adjourned at 3.40 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 13 December 1983.