It appears that agreement on the Order of Business as announced by the Taoiseach is not forthcoming and I am now putting the question: "That the arrangement——
Order of Business (Resumed).
If I may——
I may be of assistance——
The Chair is on his feet putting the question and may not be interrupted.
I may be of assistance in putting the question if you will give me two minutes.
This is most unruly. The Chair is on his feet putting the question to the House and Members are being disruptive.
I want to be of assistance——
(Interruptions.)
I am putting the question: "That the arrangements for the sitting and the Business of the House as proposed by the Taoiseach be agreed".
(Interruptions.)
The Chair has been informed that the parties opposing the declaration do not wish to appoint tellers. That means they are not prepared to go to a division. Accordingly, I declare that as there are no tellers against, the question is carried.
Despite the heckling which I predict from the back-benches on the far side, I will say my piece. You, a Cheann Comhairle, as well as anyone in the House, know the record and the tradition of the Labour Party in this House. We have played a proud role since the fondation of the State but, at this stage, we have no possibility of having an input or anything considered for the Order of Business. That is a disgrace and not in the interests of the democratic process of this country. Because of that, I am withdrawing from the House with my party for the morning's proceedings.
In view of the fact that we have established today from the Taoiseach that he is now breaking the tradition of this House of 65 years' standing, that the Whips of the parties in this House should meet to discuss the following week's business, and since he refuses to allow such a meeting to be held I do not see any point——
That is not true.
It is true, we heard it from the Taoiseach's mouth today. I do not see any point in prolonging the sort of acrimony we have had over the past week in this House——
Will the Deputy please come to the point?
In those circumstances, the Progressive Democrats, in view of the fact that they are not given their rights in this House because of collusion between the two main parties, will leave the earlier part of today's proceedings to the two main parties and let them do what they like.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy O'Malley has not done me the courtesy of waiting to hear my reply to his accusations. For the record, it is important that I should reject totally everything he said. On this side of the House, our Whip endeavours to conduct the affairs of the House in the traditional manner to the best of his ability. It is not his fault that the Whips from the parties who have just left the House are very rarely available. They are given, in so far as he is concerned, every possible courtesy and consideration in the ordering of business. It is very difficult for our Whip to carry on business with Whips we find very difficult to locate.
I must comment that I think it extraordinary that people who have been long years here and have established a procedure and rules of this House are now finding that they are unable to work within them. Why do they not change them?