Before the business proper of the day begins, I would like to draw attention to a remark passed here yesterday evening, in the course of a speech, by Deputy Flinn.
A DEPUTY'S EXPLANATION.
I have not had notice of this matter.
It is reported in the Press——
I would like to have notice of all these personal explanations beforehand, but I will let the Deputy proceed.
He stated, and he is reported in the Press as having stated, under the caption of "A question of accent,""When Deputy Anthony goes back to his own constituents and tells them that he performed the duty they sent him to do when he came here to sneer at the Cork accent, I will answer him." I drew Deputy Flinn's attention last evening to the Official Report, in which there is no suggestion that I sneered at the Cork accent. Deputy Flinn, with his well-known genius for building up——
In the absence of Deputy Flinn, I cannot have Deputy Flinn discussed. The Deputy should simply correct the impression and leave it at that.
I want to quote for you the Official Report, which throws upon the Fianna Fáil Party the onus, if it can be called an onus, of disparaging in any way the Cork accent.
We are crushed!
A number of interruptions occurred. I challenged any Deputy to understand the language used. We have had experience of interruptions in this House, and I think, if anything, I under-estimated the number of languages used in it, but I said three, because my experience is that there are at least four or five languages spoken in the House.
Does the Deputy mean the language used by those with a Cork accent?
I stated, according to the Official Report: "There are two official languages recognised in the Dáil. The English language is understood by every Deputy, the Irish language is understood by a few Deputies, but there is a language spoken now that nobody in the Dáil understands." At that particular reference——
Now, will the Deputy sit down?
I want to say——
I think I know what the Deputy wants to say. He wants to say that it had no reference to the Cork accent. I am prepared to let him say that, but I am not prepared to hear him elaborate what it did relate to. That brings us to another question. If the Deputy is content to say that it had no reference to the Cork accent, I am satisfied, but if he wants to say what it had reference to I will not allow him. That would make it worse.
I want to read the Report: "Mr. S.T. O'Kelly"—who, I believe, is a member of the Fianna Fáil Party——
Is that in the Report?
"Might I ask if the Deputy is referring to the Cork accent?" I will leave it at that. I just want to saddle it on the right horse.
Can we have an authentic definition of the Cork accent? I have known many Deputies in the Dáil from Cork City and as far as I know they all talk with different accents.
Some of them got the accents in Labour colleges.
Order.