It is proposed to take No. 19. By agreement, and notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the speech of the Taoiseach and the Leader of the main Opposition Party during the debate on item No. 19 shall not exceed one and a half hours in each case. Private Members' Business shall be No. 46.
Order of Business.
Are the time limits for the Taoiseach and the Leader of the main Opposition Party agreed? Agreed.
Relating to the way we order business in this House, I ask the Chair to take note of the fact, perhaps with a view to doing something about it, that yesterday my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, in this House raised the question of the imminent closure of one of the great educational institutions in the country, namely, Carysfort College, and she asked that the Government should make a statement on the matter. The Government declined to do so but within two hours the Minister for Education went outside this House and made a public statement. I am not quite sure how the matter can be dealt with, but I think the conduct of the Minister and the Government shows a flagrant disrespect for this House.
The Chair has no control over that.
I should like to raise on the Adjournment the proposed closure of Carysfort College, Blackrock, having regard to the complete lack of consultation and the arbitrary way notice of the closure was communicated to the college authorities.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
This matter is so serious it warrants much more than an Adjournment debate. I wish to ask the Taoiseach if he will give Government time for a full debate on the closure of Carysfort College.
The Deputy should take that up with the Whips.
I wish to support Deputy O'Rourke in that request for special Dáil time to discuss the disgraceful and rather sneaky way——
The Deputy should take up the matter with the Whips. He cannot raise it in this way here.
The contribution of the Minister for Education on the radio was cold and callous——
I cannot allow the Deputy to make a speech. He must resume his seat. I have refused other Deputies and I will not make any exception.
It was smug, self-satisfied and hypocritical.
The whole philosophy of this Government——
The Deputy is putting the Chair in a difficult position. He must resume his seat.
The Minister should be ashamed of herself. She did not consult anyone. She insulted——
Deputies
Chair.
The Deputy will leave the House. He has left the Chair no alternative.
She should account to this House for the manner in which the Government have acted. Why do they not close down the country?
I have told the Deputy to leave the House. He must leave the House now.
Deputy D. Andrews withdrew.
With the permission of the Chair I wish to raise on the Adjournment the closure of Saint Dympna's psychiatric hospital in Carlow.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I also wish to raise on the Adjournment the closure of Saint Dympna's hospital.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to ask the Minister for Education and the Minister for Health when they plan to bring forward Bills to ban all religious from involvement in education and in the hospitals?
I should like to raise with the Taoiseach the question of customs clearance facilities at Border posts separating the north-eastern part and the southern part of this country. At the moment after 9 p.m. we will find it impossible to export goods into Northern Ireland or through Northern Ireland——
Is the Deputy making a request?
The Taoiseach may not be aware of what is happening.
The Deputy may not raise the matter in this way.
I ask permission to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.