I would like to bring to the Chair's attention that the Fine Gael spokesperson on justice, equality and law reform merely said that he hoped that the Ceann Comhairle's office——
Order of Business (Resumed).
We have dealt with the matter now.
We have not dealt with it.
We are proceeding with the Order of Business. I call the Taoiseach.
All the Deputy said was that he hoped that the Ceann Comhairle's office was not complicit in this matter——
There was clear implication it was.
All he said was that he hoped that the Ceann Comhairle's office was not complicit. The Ceann Comhairle is wrong on this.
That is an insinuation. The Deputy knew exactly what he was doing.
I would like to reply. As the Ceann Comhairle said, the facility of a personal explanation is available to a Member in the House under Standing Orders and if there were any requirement — and I believe there should not be — for political or other reasons to bring a motion to the House, that is a matter for other Members to consider.
Deputy Kenny referred to standards. I believe in standards. The Cabinet Handbook and the Code of Conduct for Office Holders refers to people in the performance of their duties. I obviously also accept that in regard to their private capacity, I expect Ministers to ensure where an error occurs, it is rectified, it is apologised for——
When they are caught out on tape.
——and it is accepted by the party concerned. There is an acceptance by the party concerned not in terms of how it is interpreted in this House that Deputy O'Dea acted innocently——
He had it done under duress.
The Taoiseach, without interruption.
The Deputies do not want to hear this quote because it does not suit their political purposes. That is their problem and that is the standard they go by.
They did it to George Lee last week. Poor George.
He did not fall out of any tree the Minister was looking up.
However, the standard I want to explain is where a person admits an error and acts in good faith once the error is drawn to his or her attention and obtains the agreement of the party concerned that he or she acted innocently in the matter. Despite Deputy Rabbitte's guffawing, I will quote from the settlement. It is not suggested——
He has been lying in here for 25 years.
No; the lies are in The Lost Revolution.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I read it over Christmas and the Deputy was fairly prominent in it.
The Deputy did not welcome the INLA decommissioning.
I ask him to leave it. Let us not talk about lies or untruths.
The Deputy did not welcome the INLA decommissioning, did he?
It is not suggested by Mr. Quinlivan——
Neither did Deputy Gilmore or Lady Wicklow. They were very quiet.
It was SR Technics the Taoiseach should have been reading about.
——that Deputy O'Dea acted other than innocently in making such a denial, and he accepts — that is, the party concerned accepts — that there was no intention to mislead on the part of Deputy O'Dea.
Are these the taxi drivers?
Those are the standards I expect from a person when an error is made.
He did not sign the affidavit.
He is admitting to it and is attempting to solve the problem and deal with it to the satisfaction of the aggrieved person.
He was caught out.
That is what I expect.
That is not good enough.
We are proceeding with the Order of Business. I have an amendment from Deputy Kenny which is not in order. It is the Taoiseach's prerogative under Standing Orders to introduce the proposal for the Order of Business.
Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with Nos. 10 and 11, without debate, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 76; Níl, 65.
Tá
- Ahern, Dermot.
- Ahern, Michael.
- Ahern, Noel.
- Andrews, Barry.
- Andrews, Chris.
- Ardagh, Seán.
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Behan, Joe.
- Blaney, Niall.
- Brady, Áine.
- Brady, Cyprian.
- Brady, Johnny.
- Browne, John.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carey, Pat.
- Collins, Niall.
- Conlon, Margaret.
- Connick, Seán.
- Coughlan, Mary.
- Cowen, Brian.
- Cregan, John.
- Cuffe, Ciarán.
- Cullen, Martin.
- Curran, John.
- Dempsey, Noel.
- Devins, Jimmy.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Fahey, Frank.
- Finneran, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Michael.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Flynn, Beverley.
- Gogarty, Paul.
- Gormley, John.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Hanafin, Mary.
- Harney, Mary.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Jackie.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Kelly, Peter.
- Kenneally, Brendan.
- Kennedy, Michael.
- Killeen, Tony.
- Kitt, Michael P.
- Lowry, Michael.
- McEllistrim, Thomas.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Moloney, John.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Mulcahy, Michael.
- Nolan, M.J.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- O’Connor, Charlie.
- O’Dea, Willie.
- O’Donoghue, John.
- O’Flynn, Noel.
- O’Hanlon, Rory.
- O’Keeffe, Batt.
- O’Keeffe, Edward.
- O’Rourke, Mary.
- O’Sullivan, Christy.
- Power, Seán.
- Roche, Dick.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Treacy, Noel.
- Wallace, Mary.
- White, Mary Alexandra.
- Woods, Michael.
Níl
- Barrett, Seán.
- Breen, Pat.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Burke, Ulick.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Carey, Joe.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Connaughton, Paul.
- Coonan, Noel J.
- Costello, Joe.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Crawford, Seymour.
- Creed, Michael.
- Creighton, Lucinda.
- D’Arcy, Michael.
- Deasy, John.
- Deenihan, Jimmy.
- Doyle, Andrew.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Enright, Olwyn.
- Feighan, Frank.
- Ferris, Martin.
- Flanagan, Terence.
- Gilmore, Eamon.
- Hayes, Brian.
- Hayes, Tom.
- Higgins, Michael D.
- Hogan, Phil.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lynch, Ciarán.
- Lynch, Kathleen.
- McCormack, Pádraic.
- McEntee, Shane.
- McGinley, Dinny.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McManus, Liz.
- Mitchell, Olivia.
- Morgan, Arthur.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Noonan, Michael.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- O’Donnell, Kieran.
- O’Dowd, Fergus.
- O’Keeffe, Jim.
- O’Shea, Brian.
- O’Sullivan, Jan.
- O’Sullivan, Maureen.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Perry, John.
- Quinn, Ruairí.
- Rabbitte, Pat.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- Sherlock, Seán.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Stagg, Emmet.
- Stanton, David.
- Timmins, Billy.
- Tuffy, Joanna.
- Upton, Mary.
- Varadkar, Leo.
- Wall, Jack.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Pat Carey and John Cregan; Níl, Deputies Paul Kehoe and Emmet Stagg.
Question declared carried.
Is the proposal for dealing with Private Members' business agreed?
On that point, I understand that a statement will be made at 7 p.m., the time at which Private Members' business was to start. How does this affect the order to finish Private Members' time at 8.30 p.m.? Will the statement time be taken from the Private Members' business slot?
The statement will be before 7 p.m.
At what time?
It depends on how we get on now. We have some more business to transact.
That is no answer.
He wants an opportunity to record it.
(Interruptions).
It will be as soon as possible. We have a special notice question with which to deal.
I cannot hear the Ceann Comhairle.
We have a special notice question to deal with and it may take some time.
Has the Ceann Comhairle an indication of the time at which the statement will start?
It is intended that it will be before 7 p.m.
What time is that?
At what time exactly?
It is dependent on the special notice question, in which I am sure there is considerable interest, but it is intended to have it before 7 p.m.
Does the Minister intend to slip in and make the statement without telling us the time?
It is intended to be before 7 p.m.
What is meant by "before 7 p.m."?
Before 7 o'clock.
Does that mean at 6 o'clock? "Before 7 p.m." includes 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Does the Ceann Comhairle not know?
(Interruptions).
It will be at 6.55 p.m.
At five minutes before 7 p.m.
Yes.
On a point of order——
(Interruptions).
Deputy Kehoe without interruption.
It was indicated this morning that the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, would make a statement after Private Members' business. As Whip, I then got a message that the statement would be made at 7 p.m. Now we do not know when it will be made.
When the long hand is at 11 and the short hand is at 7.
I do not accept——
(Interruptions).
We will have it before 7 p.m.
May I finish? It is not acceptable——
(Interruptions).
It is not acceptable that the Minister could enter the Chamber on a whim at any time to make his statement. It is important that we nail down a time as to when he will be in the House making his statement.
A Deputy
Burn the Sunday Independent.
We will send Deputy Kehoe a text.
Could the Minister send an affidavit instead?
We must move on.
(Interruptions).
At what time will the Minister make a statement? When will he be in the House?
In due course.
We have indicated that a suitable time will be 6.55 p.m.
That clashes with "Nob Nation".
We estimate that it will take the Minister approximately five minutes to make the statement. It will be immediately prior to Private Members' business.
Can the Ceann Comhairle give a commitment that Private Members' time will be 90 minutes? This is the only commitment we seek.
A Deputy
That is sacrosanct.
It is intended to respect that. Is the proposal agreed? Agreed.