It is proposed to take No. 3a on the Supplementary Order Paper. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that 1. Business shall be interrupted at 10.30 p.m. tonight and the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith; 2. questions for oral reply shall not be taken tomorrow, Thursday. 17 November 1994; 3. the sitting shall be suspended at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, 17 November 1994 for one hour; 4. matters raised under Standing Order 30 shall not be taken tomorrow; 5. the proceedings on No. 3a shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 5 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, 17 November 1994, when the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith, and the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the debate: (i) the opening speeches of the Leaders of the Fianna Fáil Party, the Fine Gael Party, the Labour Party, the Progressive Democrats Party and the Democratic Left Party shall not exceed 45 minutes in each case; (ii) the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case; (iii) Members may share time; and (iv) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon not later than 4.30 p.m. tomorrow to make a speech in reply. 6. There will be no Private Members' Business this evening.
Order of Business (Resumed).
Is it agreed that business shall be interrupted at 10.30 p.m. tonight and that the Dáil shall adjourn forthwith? Agreed. Is it agreed that questions for oral reply shall not be taken tomorrow? Agreed. Is it agreed that the sitting shall be suspended at 1.00 p.m. tomorrow? Agreed. Is it agreed that matters raised under Standing Order 30 shall not be taken tomorrow? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with No. 3a satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal that there will be no Private Members' Business this evening satisfactory and agreed? Agreed.
We have agreed this Order of Business at a recent Whips meeting but arising from the time we are commencing business here, I wish to put the record straight in regard to a legitimate question I asked yesterday in response to questions raised by the Taoiseach regarding activities over the weekend. The question was: will the Taoiseach clarify what those personal inquiries involved? Did the Taoiseach speak to the former Attorney General or to the official who briefed the former Attorney General in respect of the report he issued?
I put this on the record in case there is any perception that the postponements of the Dáil today resulted from the question which I and Deputy Rabbitte asked.
I think the Deputy is anticipating the debate.
I will finish in less than one minute. You will recall, that the Dáil met this morning at 10.30 when there was a request for a postponement by the Government. This party objected to that and voted against it. There was a further request for a postponement by the Government at 4 p.m. Any perception abroad or internally, therefore, that the postponements of the Dáil today which led to the farcical situation we had, arose from questions raised by me or by Deputy Rabbitte is simply not true.
Members will have ample opportunity to give vent to their feelings on this matter in the debate which is about to ensue. I now call on the Taoiseach to move the motion.