Sir, I want to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of a question addressed by me to An Tánaiste on the 14th February last, as I was not in a position to know then that the answer An Tánaiste gave me on that occasion was not true and, therefore, I desire to raise the matter.
Question on Adjournment.
Sir, should not the Deputy be asked to withdraw that remark?
I have merely stated that I was not then in a position to know that the answer given to me then was not correct.
That is debating the question.
No, Sir. I asked your leave to raise the matter on the Adjournment to-night.
Is the Deputy to be asked, Sir, to withdraw that remark?
I did not allege that An Tánaiste lied. I am saying that the answer he gave me was not true.
I am asking the Ceann Comhairle for a ruling.
It may be that An Tánaiste was misled and that the facts, as stated by him, were, in his belief, true, but I propose to show that they were not true.
I have been asked for a ruling on that remark. It should be understood that it is not the first time that that expression was used here and to state that a statement is not true does not for a moment imply that the person making the statement is guilty of a deliberate untruth. I take it that the Deputy used the expression in that way, and that he did not wish to imply that An Tánaiste deliberately misled the House. If that is so, the expression is in order.
Supposing that An Tánaiste were to make a similar remark, would it be in order, Sir, to ask him to withdraw?
I am not ruling on a hypothetical case. I have heard the expression used here on other occasions.
I understood you to say, Sir, that it had been used by other Deputies.
I stated that it was not the first time the expression was used; it was used at least half a dozen times.
It was used more forcibly by Ministers.
I am not permitting a debate on the matter.