It is proposed to take No. 20. Private Members' Business shall be No. 113.
Death of Former Member. - Order of Business.
In relation to the resumption of the budget debate, I should like to ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance if the House will have the benefit of the revised Estimate for current expenditure which always precedes the budget debate. I should like to underline the fact that the budget debate follows, in the normal sequence, the presentation of Estimates by the Government to the House. The budget debate is informed by the Estimates presented to the House in the various areas. We now find ourselves in the position of having a debate on the budget——
The Deputy cannot make a speech at this stage.
I am raising a point of order. We now find ourselves having a debate on the budget without having any knowledge as to the extent of the cuts in current expenditure to which the Minister made a passing reference in his Budget Statement. That cannot be in accordance with proper parliamentary procedure and it does not allow the House to debate the issue.
As the House will be aware, some significant changes were made in the Estimates in the course of the budget. Full details of these were given in the associated documentation; and we went to considerable trouble to ensure that this was as full as possible so that the House would be in a position to address itself not merely to the original Estimates put forward but to the changes which we had introduced on both the capital and current side. The revised Book of Estimates in its final form will be published, but I cannot give the Deputy a date for it. I am satisfied that the House has before it the necessary information to be able to take a view both of the original Estimates and of the changes made in the budget.
This matter can be argued out in the course of the budget debate.
I should like to ask a question arising out of what the Taoiseach said. The Taoiseach has based his case on the fact that full details of the reductions have been given to the House. If that was so we would not have any complaint, but the fact is we have not full details.
The Chair feels that the Deputy could make that point, or get somebody to make it for him, in the budget debate.
I am making a point in the interest of the procedures of the House.
I am not prepared to have a Committee Stage debate on this.
The Chair misunderstands me.
I do not.
I do not think this could be looked upon as a Committee Stage debate. I wish to draw the Chair's attention to the fact that the normal sequence of debate on these issues is the presentation of the Book of Estimates, followed by the budget debate and later by the Finance Bill. We are being asked to debate the budget without having details of the Estimates.
That is a valid point to make in the course of the budget debate and I am not going to allow the Deputy proceed on those lines now. The Deputy has all afternoon to have the matter raised.
This is not a point of argument but a point about procedure.
The Deputy has made his point and he has been answered by the Taoiseach. The Deputy may not be satisfied with the answer he got and he can elaborate the point during the debate.
If the Taoiseach regards a one page summary as details of Estimates, it is a disgrace.
The Deputy can say that ad nauseam in the debate on the budget.
It is time we were given the details.
The Chair will remember that the Government were to bring in the Estimates in September. We were told they were to be published in September.
In view of the fact that the Chair decided not to allow my Private Notice Question on the Cobalt Unit having been dismantled, and the urgency to sanction accommodation for new equipment at the hospital——
Has the Deputy a request to make?
If the Chair will bear with me I will put my request.
The Deputy is abusing the procedure of the House by making a speech on the matter.
There is no question of abusing the procedure of the House. I am asking permission to raise the subject matter of the Private Notice Question on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the failure of millers and merchants to allow farmers the full value of the vouchers issued by the Minister. In some cases only one-third of the value is being allowed.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
Again, I am requesting permission to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the recent leakage from Sellafield.
The Chair will communicate with Deputy Allen.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the proposed withdrawal of the dialysis service from Letterkenny and Sligo General Hospitals.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to ask the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he is aware of the serious position in Bailieboro Creamery and if he will make a statement on the steps he intends taking——
There has been a request already for an Adjournment debate on that matter.
I am seeking permission also to raise the issue on the Adjournment.
I will make up my mind on the matter and will communicate with the Deputy.
In the knowledge that the Government have the responsibility for ordering business in the House, can the Taoiseach say when the remaining Stages of the Free Ports Bill will be taken in order to allow for the making of regulations for this port facility which was promised almost two years ago?
Next week, I should hope; but that is subject to agreement between the Whips.
What is the explanation for what appears to be an unreasonable delay in proceeding with this legislation?
That does not arise.
The budget debate, I think.