It is proposed to take Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9. Private Members' Business shall be No. 88 and by agreement proceedings on item No. 88 shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 8.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is it agreed that the proceedings on No. 88 shall be concluded not later than 8.30 p.m.? Agreed.
There are a couple of items that I wish to raise on the Adjournment. I wish to raise the matter of the closure, with the loss of 180 jobs, of MacCormac's Products, Killeshandra, County Cavan. I wish to raise also the question of the non-inclusion of the Dowra stretch of the Shannon in the new Shannon scheme. I am not seeking to be granted permission to raise both items on the same evening but I will leave to your judgment the decision as to which of the two you will allow me to raise first.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
Before the summer recess this House passed the social welfare equality legislation. When is it proposed that the legislation be implemented?
I do not think that is in order.
There is little point in passing legislation if it is not implemented.
I understand that the Deputy is dealing with legislation that has been enacted. If so, a question on the Order Paper would be a more appropriate way of getting the information that he requires.
The Minister might just indicate the date for this.
I want to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the very high unemployment in Carrick-on-Suir town, County Tipperary, where there are 1,200 people unemployed, resulting in a percentage twice the national average of unemployment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
May I, on the Order of Business, raise with you, A Cheann Comhairle, two matters with regard to Question Time? I want to draw your attention to a very serious matter which took place with regard to a question I put down in relation to the Stardust Tribunal. That tribunal was announced by the Taoiseach and the matter is being handled by the Attorney General who is part of the Taoiseach's office establishment. I addressed my question to the Taoiseach in the interests of my constituents, a question which was designed to do nothing more than extract and secure information for the guidance of the families and the individuals concerned — a question which was very timely because the tribunal was about to start work. Apparently the Taoiseach's office decided last Friday that that question should be transferred to the Minister for Justice. Because the draw for Justice questions had already taken place, my question could not get into the Justice sector of the Question Time agenda this week. I want to complain seriously to you, Sir, about this behaviour by the Taoiseach in regard to this matter. It is not a political matter. It is something about which most people in this House are agreed. It was totally outside politics. My question had no purpose whatsoever except to help those unfortunate families.
Secondly, I want to draw your attention to the fact that in my view you have behaved very unfairly and injudiciously in ruling out a very important and urgent question by me today, a Private Notice Question in regard to the behaviour of the Chief Constable of the RUC.
Regarding the question of the Stardust matter, I explained fully to Deputy Haughey yesterday why I acted as I did, that I had to, strictly in accordance with the Standing Order. First, I am giving this explanation because it is not a ruling. I am explaining how the Standing Order concerned works. It has been the practice here since the foundation of this House that the Chair is not responsible for, nor has he any part in, the transfer of questions from one Minister to another. That has always been the practice and has always been the ruling of the Chair. In regard to the fact that Deputy Haughey's question could not be taken, in accordance with an order made by this House the ballot for today's Justice questions had to be held last Thursday. Without wishing to appear to be smart, as things turned out it would not have made any difference because all the Justice questions were non-runners. None of the balloted ones was reached. However, that might not have been the case.
That is not the case.
It was the case today. I am talking about the Justice questions. That being so, the question which was transferred to Justice could not be put in the ballot. Instead it had to be put at the end of the questions. The Chair had no option.
Regarding the Private Notice Question about which the Deputy complained today, that is the question concerning the statements made by the Chief Constable in Northern Ireland, the Chair conveyed his ruling to Deputy Haughey through his private secretary, which was strictly in accordance with rules, Standing Orders and precedents relating to Private Notice Questions. If Deputy Haughey wishes to discuss the matter further with me, I shall be only too glad to do so. I am not prepared to discuss it here. If I were to do that, it would involve a post mortem on every ruling of mine, which would make the Chair's position quite untenable.
I do not wish to discuss the matter with you. I just want to register a very strong protest about your ruling and your decision in the matter. I think that it was misguided and that you have been unfair to the Opposition in this matter and, indeed, unfair to the general public, but I shall leave that for another day. I accept, Sir, your outline of what took place in regard to my question about the Stardust Tribunal. I want to ask the Taoiseach, through you, if it was on his instructions that his office at this late stage directed that this question be transferred to the Minister for Justice?
I am not prepared to allow that question. I am sorry.
It is very important. When the Taoiseach has announced this tribunal and the matter is being conducted——
It may be important, but it is not in order.
On a point of order, the Taoiseach announced this tribunal. The matter is being handled by the Attorney General, for whom normally he answers questions in this House. I want to know why this question was transferred in a way that rendered it inoperative. From the beginning of the matter of the Stardust tragedy, I had no motive except to be of assistance to the families and the victims. I want to ask the Taoiseach why he personally — or, if not, somebody in his office — had this matter dealt with in this way.
I must take a firm stand on this. I am disallowing your question and ruling the matter out of order.
You will not have much of a House left if you keep on with this behaviour.
It is up to the House to change Standing Orders. I call Deputy Wilson.
Could I ask the Taoiseach when the Minister for Communications will let the House know the result of the committee of inquiry set up on 26 June last to inquire into the necessity for the strategic deep sea Irish fleet?
That is an appropriate question and I shall allow it.
The Government have considered the matter and it may be ready within a month or so.
Does that mean that the Minister has already received the report?
I understand that the report may arrive in my office within the next day or two.
I have received notice from the Taoiseach that he proposes to make a statement under Standing Order 38. Standing Order No. 38 will be strictly enforced.