It is proposed to take Business in the following order: Nos. 7 and 26. By agreement, No. 7 shall be taken without debate. Also by agreement, the Dáil shall not be suspended between 1.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. today. Also by agreement, the Dáil shall sit not later than 6.30 p.m. today and Business shall be interrupted at 6 p.m. and at the conclusion of Business today the Dáil shall adjourn until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 27 June 1986 and the Business shall be confined to Estimates for Public Services.
Order of Business.
Are the arrangements for today's Business agreed? Agreed. Are the arrangements for Friday's Business agreed? Agreed.
In relation to a matter I raised last week on the Adjournment, may I ask the Taoiseach if any response has been received from the Government's representations to the Libyan Government?
The Deputy may not raise the matter at this time.
I do not wish to come into conflict with the Chair but surely in respect of a matter that was raised on the Adjournment and where a Minister indicated in his reply that a certain course of action would be taken by the Government it is appropriate that one can ask what action was taken and the result of such action?
The Chair does not think so because that would open the way to——
Information.
——a kind of a mini-Question Time each day on matters previously raised on the Adjournment.
Does the Chair think it appropriate that I might seek to raise the matter again on the Adjournment?
The Deputy might run into a little trouble there. I can think of other ways the Deputy might explore to get the information he wants.
I could go around the corridors but I think it is appropriate that the information should be given in the House.
May I ask the Minister for Labour if he will consider today intervening in some way in the dispute at Shannon Airport to prevent the threatened closure tomorrow and an all-out picket?
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
Yesterday I tried to raise a matter on the Adjournment. No other Member of the House——
Has the Deputy an application to make?
My request was not accepted because I was told it was after 4 p.m.
The Deputy may not make a speech about something that happened yesterday but if he has an application to make now I will listen to him.
It was ruled out because I was told it was after 4 p.m. but there was no opportunity for me to make my request between 3.45 p.m. and 4 p.m.——
I cannot hear the Deputy on those lines and he should know that.
I wish to raise the same matter on the Adjournment today, that is, the question of the serious public disquiet over the many unanswered questions surrounding the death of Fr. Niall Molloy.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
In view of the Chair's ruling regarding the appropriateness of my asking a question at this time, may I ask the Taoiseach if he would think it appropriate to make a statement to the House on the matter?
It may be new to the Deputy but that is a well known and well tried formula of getting over the ruling of the Chair as to what may or may not be raised on the Order of Business.
I can assure the Chair I am not trying to get over his ruling. However, that does not necessarily mean that I will unquestioningly accept the ruling which I think is not in accordance with Standing Orders.
The Deputy is one of the most orderly Deputies in the House and he is not a bad performer either.
I do not want to be placed in the position where I might have to prove that to the Chair.
The Deputy would then cease to qualify for my first description of him.