It is proposed to take No. 19. Private Members' Business shall be No. 40.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Taoiseach if he is aware of a rather extraordinary happening here last night when one of his Ministers announced considerable public expenditure in the form of social welfare benefits but did not have have available to the House a script of her speech? As a result, the House has no official record of the exact details of the changes announced or their cost to the Exchequer. Will the Taoiseach take steps today to try to repair this extraordinary omission by the Minister for Social Welfare and let us have in some form or writing or other the exact nature of the changes which are, for the third time, proposed in the implementation of the equality directive and if possible, if it is known, the cost of these changes and, if it is even further remotely known, the savings which are supposed to have been identified out of which these extra expenditure can be paid?
I will allow the question as to when further information regarding the announcement which was made last night will be made available because that was promised last night but I will not allow any further debate or discussion on it because that will arise motion this evening.
I am gratified to see Deputy Haughey's sudden concern about the cost of any matter before this House. The people of Ireland may be relieved, if they believe him.
Dutch auctioneer.
(Interruptions.)
Can we have order, please.
In regard to the matter raised, the Minister's statement last night represented the statement on how the Government intended to implement the decision which was announced last week.
Let's twist again.
The Deputy spoke from notes as she is perfectly entitled to do. Some people speak from notes and do not need scripts.
Some people need handlers.
That is the way Parliament should be. It is our concern that every word should be correctly reported in the papers but it is on the record of the House which I thought is normally regarded as adequate for these purposes. The further details will be announced by the Minister today. There is no difficulty about that. I think the Deputy got himself into a rather odd position.
I want to identify three things that I would like the Taoiseach to put before us. This whole business is becoming very much like a maze out of which it is very difficult to find one's way.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
This is the fourth time for these changes. How can one describe a fourth turn? It can no longer be a U-turn.
A double S bend.
I would like the Taoiseach to give the exact details of the changes, the total cost to the Exchequer of the changes and the savings which have been identified in the Department.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of 200 employees who were laid off by Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes last January.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the very unsatisfactory position regarding the management of damaged sea vessels of the south-west Cork coast.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the extraordinary position that now exists at Gorey CBS primary school where the students have gone on strike because the Minister has failed to build an extension to the school.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of the Blarney Garda station.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 14 on the Order Paper of Tuesday, 18 November.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the interference to television sets in the Rathcormac area by the installation of the "green man" at Rathmore Garda station.
I will communicate with the Deputy.