It is proposed to take Nos. 10, 11 and 12.
Order of Business.
A Cheann Comhairle, I want to give notice of my intention, with your leave, to raise on the Adjournment the matter I tried to raise yesterday.
I will communicate with Deputy Kelly.
Can the Taoiseach say whether or not it is Government policy that bookmakers should be prohibited from practising their profession at horse tracks and dog tracks?
That question is not suitable to be raised on the Order of Business.
Was the Minister for Agriculture speaking for the Government in his announcement yesterday?
I did not make any announcement.
D'eisíodh ainmneacha na mball do Chomhchoiste na Gaeilge inné, cé nach raibh aon eolas ag an Tánaiste faoi inné. Ba mhaith liom a fhiafraí den Taoiseach an bhfuil sé sásta nach bhfuil éinne ó Pháirtí na nOibrithe ar an chomhchoiste seo, cé go raibh páirt againn sna cainteanna faoin chomhchoiste sin dhá bhliain go leith ó shin.
Níl sé sin in ord ar Riar na hOibre.
D'Ardaigh mé an cheist inné agus do fhreagair an Tánaiste mé. Mar sin sílim go bhfuil sé in ord an cheist a ardú arís de bharr gur eisíodh na hainmneacha aréir. Tá mé ag cur na ceiste ar an Taoiseach agus ba mhaith liom dá bhfreagródh sé.
Níl sé in ord é a ardú ar Riar na hOibre.
Could I ask the Taoiseach or the Minister for Energy to explain to the House, in view of the commitment and the promise the Minister gave on Tuesday on the Order of Business that any announcement in relation to changes in the oil exploration terms would be made in this House, why he has chosen once again to undermine the privacy of Parliament by making an announcement outside the House while the House was in session?
I will allow the question but not the speech.
Deputy Reynolds put a question to me in relation to legislation. As the Deputy is aware no change in legislation is necessary. I said I would inform the House. If Deputy Reynolds felt that I would inform the House first that was not my intention. I made myself available and a statement will be made at 12 o'clock today as a courtesy to the House.
I did not ask the Tánaiste anything about legislation. I asked the Taoiseach yesterday morning. This is very important. Either commitments from Government Ministers mean something or they do not. Do the Government want to hand another weapon to those who want to undermine this House and make it irrelevant?
The Deputy will not make this House relevant by disregarding Standing Orders.
I am not disregarding Standing Orders. This House either has primacy or it has not. Do this Government want to continue to undermine this primacy? The Tánaiste made a clear and unequivocal commitment to this House.
Deputy Reynolds, please.
We all heard it and I reminded the Taoiseach on the Order of Business yesterday morning about it.
You cannot disregard the ruling of the Chair. The fundamental rule governing this House is that the ruling of the Ceann Comhairle be obeyed. The Ceann Comhairle is now ruling that this does not arise in this way.
On the Order of Business, the Taoiseach has just given us the Order of Business in which he indicated that we would be taking today Nos. 10, 11 and 12. There is no statement or suggestion by the Taoiseach that the Tánaiste will be making a statement at 12 o'clock.
It is a procedural matter.
We have been treated with total discourtesy in this House.
Deputy Haughey will be aware that it has never been the practice to announce these statements on the Order of Business.
Are we to take it now that the Tánaiste will make a statement at 12 o'clock today?
(Dún Laoghaire): Could I clarify the matter? I approached the Fianna Fáil Whip yesterday and asked him would 12 o'clock suit and it was agreed that it would suit. It was at the request of the Fianna Fáil Whip that we agreed to make the statement at that time.
The Fianna Fáil Whip did not tell the Deputy.
May I just point out that at the time our Chief Whip was talking to the Government Chief Whip about that matter, the Tánaiste was disclosing the full details to the press and the public outside this House?
I call Item No. 10.
The handlers are more important in this House from now on. They have to get the first crack of the whip.
I wish to make a point in relation to that remark by the Leader——
It is the handlers who decide the issues in this House.
——of the Opposition. I would point out that a copy of the statement was lodged in the Library of this House before any announcement was made to anybody.
I call Item No. 10, Finance Bill, 1985.
The details were being given to the press of this country yesterday and, indeed, the evening before when this House was being given a different commitment.
I call Deputy Tomás Mac Giolla.
The whole thing was probably thrashed out somewhere else. We have a fair idea where the dinner parties took place.
Please, Deputy.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach if he is aware of the level of public outrage this morning in relation to the jury award——
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
——in relation to a prisoner who took an action. I wish to know if the Government will appeal that.
That does not arise on the Order of Business. I call on Deputy Mac Giolla on Item No. 10.
Abolish the courts.
(Interruptions.)
(Limerick West): Will the Taoiseach report to this House on the progress made by his Minister for Agriculture in the farm price talks taking place in Brussels? When are we likely to have an end to these talks and a decision?
Is progress the right word?
The Deputy does recognise that progress is being made, but it is not the practice to report to this House during negotiations of that kind, as the Deputy is aware. When proceedings are concluded, the question of a statement can be raised by the Opposition, if they so wish.
I am calling Deputy Mac Giolla.
(Limerick West): But, a Cheann Comhairle——
Deputy Noonan, please.
(Limerick West): The farming community are expecting an answer and to have some indication on how the talks are progressing. They have no idea what is happening.
I am sorry, Deputy, I am not going to allow this to go on.
I would like, with the permission of the Chair, to raise on the Adjournment the matter that I raised yesterday morning about the Taoiseach's attack on the right to private ownership.
That does not arise here. I call Deputy Mac Giolla.
Could I ask the Taoiseach when the Government hope to introduce the long promised youth policy?
Ask the handlers.
Ask the handlers. Do not ask the dummies.
Ask the young people.
It is very hard to hear the Deputy, with the noise in the House. Would the Deputies please let the Taoiseach speak.
Could I ask the Taoiseach when the Government propose to introduce the long promised youth policy, now that we are almost half way through International Youth Year?
A memorandum will be before the Government in the next few weeks.
I have a question to ask.
I am sorry, I am calling No. 10.
It is a simple question.
I am calling Deputy Mac Giolla.
That is unfair. Every Deputy has been given an opportunity except myself and it is a simple question.
The Order of Business could go on until 4 o'clock this afternoon.