Before coming to the Order of Business I propose to deal with a number of related notices under Standing Order 30 dealing with two different topics. I propose to deal with the topics separately and will call on the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their proposals to my office. In regard to the first topic, I received notice from Deputies Connaughton and Doyle and I call on Deputy Connaughton to make his statement first.
Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under standing Order 30.
Under Standing Order 30 I wish to raise the lack of shipping facilities for the export of live cattle to the continent and urge the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to greatly intensify his efforts to have the matter resolved urgently as failure to do so will result in financial loss to thousands of Irish farmers.
I wish to raise the matter of the lack of shipping facilities for our multi-million pound live export trade.
Having fully considered the matters I do not consider them to be matters comtemplated by the Standing Order and, therefore I cannot grant leave to move the motions. In regard to the second topic I received notice from Deputies Bruton and De Rossa. I will now call the Deputies in the order in which they gave notice to me.
In accordance with Standing Order 30 I wish to move the adjournment of the Dáil in order to discuss a specific and important matter of public interest, namely, the crisis in Government arising from the interparty dispute over the appointment of President of the High Court and the need for a settlement of the dispute in view of the manner in which it has preoccupied the Government at a time when other problems should receive priority and the need for the introduction of independent and transparent procedures for the appointment of senior members of the Judiciary in order to avoid such unseemly disputes. In view of the question and answer session we had it is more important than ever that we have such a debate.
I seek the adjourment of the Dáil under Standing Order 30 to discuss the breaches of Cabinet confidentiality which led to a political crisis concerning the appointment of a President of the High Court and the continuing failure of the Government to agree such an appointment thereby leaving a vacancy on the Council of State during the absence of the President from the country.
Having considered the matters fully I do not consider them to be matters contemplated by Standing Order 30 and, therefore, I cannot grant leave to move the motions.