Before coming to the Order of Business, I propose to deal with a number of related requests under Standing Order 30 from Deputies John Bruton, Proinsias De Rossa, Mary Harney and Trevor Sargent. I propose to call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their requests to my office. Therefore, I call first on Deputy John Bruton to state the matter of which he has given notice to me.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 30.
A Cheann Comhairle, I am seeking your permission for the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 30 to debate a motion regretting that Government Ministers have apparently not acted in either a collectively responsible, a conscientious or a truthful way in relation to Ireland's allocation of EC Structural Funds and requesting that Ministers state what information was available to the Government at the time of the publication of the National Development Plan and at the time that a debate was allowed to go ahead on that plan in this House.
I now call on Deputy De Rossa.
A Cheann Comhairle, in accordance with Standing Order 30 I request leave to move the Adjournment of the Dáil to discuss the following and important matter of public interest, namely, the statement by the President of the European Commission, Mr. Jacques Delors, following the meeting of the Commission yesterday, that he never gave any assurances to the Government that Ireland would receive £7.8 billion; the further statement by Mr. Delors that he had been asked by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Ahern, to delay a final decision on the funds until after the publication of the National Development Plan; the need for the Government to now give a full explanation to the House of its handling of the application for funds and its failure to deliver on promises it has made to the Irish people and the implications of the funding shortfall for the National Development Plan and job creation and, indeed, to explain how we have found ourselves in one of the most appalling periods of deception, fraud and political crookery that we have seen in this House in quite a long time.
The Deputy must not elaborate at this stage on the notice he gave to me. I now call on Deputy Harney.
A Cheann Comhairle, I hearby wish to give you notice of my intention to seek the Adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 30 to debate the incompetent and naïve way the Government has handled the Structural Funds allocation to Ireland for the period 1994-99 which is a matter of the greatest public interest.
I now call on Deputy Sargent.
In accordance with Standing Order 30 I wish to ask the Taoiseach and you, a Cheann Comhairle, in view of the widespread public disquiet concerning the EC Structural Funds allocation to Ireland and the uncertainty about the full implementation now of the National Development Plan, to adjourn the business of the Dáil to allow a full debate on the matter in the House in order to answer some very pressing questions, particularly the reason Jacques Delors has not commented since 20 July.
I am sorry, Deputy, you may not elaborate on the notice you gave to me. Having considered the matter fully I do not consider it to be one contemplated by Standing Order 30. Therefore, I cannot grant leave to move the Motions. The Taoiseach to announce the Order of Business.
Would you like us to lose another couple of million pounds?
Is the amount involved not large enough?
On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle——
No, my ruling may not be challenged, Deputy.
On a point of order——
There can be no point of order on my ruling, Deputy.