On a point of personal explanation, I stated yesterday that sugar which is supplied to hotels has the appearance of being swept off a dusty road. The Minister for Industry and Commerce challenged that statement and asked me if I could produce corroboration of it. The most effective corroboration I can produce is to give the Minister a sample of the sugar and let him examine it for himself. He will then see that it has the colour and appearance——
Personal Explanation by Deputy.
The Deputy wants to make a personal explanation. He is not going to make an argument in defence of his statement.
I make this statement in defence of my statement yesterday. It was absolutely true. I purchased sugar from a number of retailers in the city and I saw unrationed sugar at the same price and quality as is supplied to hotels and in colour and appearance it is very inferior. I am producing a sample of the sugar now and the Minister can have a look at it.
Is the Deputy anxious to have the sugar made or merely seeking notoriety?
I am demanding that, instead of importing this inferior sugar, we should build another sugar factory.
If the farmers would grow enough beet to keep the four sugar factories we have going we would be all right. Perhaps the Deputy would be good enough to give me the names and addresses of the persons from whom he acquired this sugar.
I have more of it here.
This, I suggest, is an abuse of the privileges of the House. It is not a laughing matter; it is a very serious matter. The Deputy has alleged that this sugar is like something swept up from a dusty road. Has the Deputy satisfied himself that this is sugar made from Irish beet or imported sugar?
Obviously I cannot allow this discussion to go on in this fashion. There is nothing before the House. I allowed Deputy Cogan to make a personal explanation. He might have given me notice of his intention to do so——
And me.
——but he did not do so.
In reply to the Minister's question——
Deputy Cogan will please sit down.
The Deputy may be making an allegation which he would be very sorry to repeat.