It is proposed to take Item No. 9. Private Members' Business will be No.74.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, might I ask if the Minister for Finance would consider making a formal statement to the House having regard to the very serious implications for our economy of the increase in interest rates and the value of the dollar in which the Government——
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
Everyone outside is conscious of the fact that this Government have borrowed heavily——
Everybody outside may not be aware of Standing Orders but Deputy O'Kennedy should be.
In view of the deliberate decision of this Government to switch to dollar borrowings from EMS borrowings could we now have a formal statement from the Government of the——
The Deputy should initiate this through the Whips. It does not arise on the Order of Business.
Might I ask if, in an attempt to make this House relevant, the Government would indicate whether they are prepared to make a statement——
Perhaps Deputy O'Kennedy would use his energies and undoubted influence in getting Standing Orders——
The Deputy is well aware of my views on the matter.
——changed, rather than making things difficult, if not impossible, for the Chair.
I understand the Chair's position. But, in view of what is now a matter of public notoriety outside, would the Government consider making time available for a reasoned statement from the House?
That is the third time the Deputy has asked.
We have already had that discussion. The Deputy is barking up the wrong tree.
We have not. The Minister has said we had a discussion. We had no discussion.
I am ruling both of you out of order.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Please, Deputy O'Kennedy, do not be so difficult.
It is vital in the interests of the relevance of the House, when everybody outside is——
If the Deputy wants to change procedure there is a way of doing so. He should know that.
A Cheann Comhairle, if the Minister and I could come to you together——
You can go to each other.
The Deputy can see me at any time.
The Minister does not appear to be aware of the gravity of this.
If that arrangement does not appeal to the Deputy, he can get the Whips to come to each other.
If I do that I presume that the Chair recognises the seriousness of this?
The Chair does not matter in that sense.
In that sense.
The Chair is here to ensure that business is conducted in accordance with Standing Orders only.
I might just say this, that I will approach the Chair and the Whips——
I do not want to be fighting with Deputy O'Kennedy but I must ask him to resume his seat. Will he do so now, please?
In view of the fact that we have lost £28 million alone in interest rates——
Will Deputy O'Kennedy please resume his seat? I am calling on Deputy McEllistrim.
I had a Private Notice Question down today. I should like to have your permission to raise it on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with Deputy McEllistrim.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the crisis in post primary education places in Swords, County Dublin.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment the circumstances of the death of an itinerant child at Dunsink Lane halting site which was the subject of a Private Notice Question which was disallowed.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of Athlone Hospital.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the continuing serious attacks on the elderly in the north-west region.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I wish to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Minister for Education to provide adequate post primary school facilities at Mallow, County Cork, for a growing population.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.