May I interrupt you for a moment because there is a request under Standing Order 29? I have notice from Senator Joe O'Toole regarding a motion which he wishes to move under Standing Order 29. I now call on Senator O'Toole to give notice of his motion before I give my ruling.
Request Under Standing Order 29.
The news, confirmed by the Minister, of cutbacks particularly in third level education in disadvantaged areas and in special education is a matter of grave public interest requiring urgent consideration, and I request that, pursuant to Standing Order 29, the Seanad adjourn today to discuss this specific and important matter which affects more than 50 per cent of our population, with implications for the present and the future in terms of employment in education, in terms of jobs now and jobs in the future.
I have given careful consideration to the matter raised by Senator Joe O'Toole and I do not consider it a matter contemplated by Standing Order 29. I regret, therefore, that I have to rule it out of order.
That is most unfortunate. We have spent a great deal of time discussing employment and there is a clear link between employment and qualifications——
I have given my ruling and I wish you would accept it. No Senator is more concerned that we should have more open debate in this House than I, but there are rules. I have given my ruling on this, and I want to put it on record this morning. I have served in public life for a long time and I appreciate matters of deep national urgency for debate, but there are rules and Senators cannot come in every day asking the House to deal with urgent matters. All elected members are aware of urgent matters in all Departments. I will talk to you later about this if you are not happy with my ruling, but I cannot allow people's interpretation of urgent matters under Standing Order 29 to be used every day in this House. When there is another way for more open debate — and as Cathaoirleach I have talked about this with my colleagues in the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, and you are well aware of my strong views on it — we may have fewer demands under Standing Order 29 each day this House sits.
I accept your ruling as I have to do, but I would like to put it on the record that it is my first time to request a Standing Order 29 adjournment. Yesterday when your constituency a Chathaoirligh, was affected by matters raised in this House, you leapt to their defence. I put it to you that this is my constituency and similarly, that this is my concern.
I dislike that kind of remark. It is unusual that a Senator sees me as taking one side or another when I am in the Chair. I might belong to a party, but certainly I never take sides. I have never been accused before——
I did not accuse you of taking sides. I made the point that you defended your constituency, that is, the constituency of the county councils of Ireland when they were attacked here yesterday and I subscribed to and supported your point of view later in the debate. I make the point here that this is my constituency——
That is much different from what we are at now Senator O'Toole.
I make the point that I did not accuse you of taking sides, a Chathaoirligh, and you should withdraw your comment. I accused you of quite rightly defending your constituency which I am now doing and no more than that.
Thank you Senator O'Toole. We will now go back to Senator Mulroy.