With your permission, I should like to raise a question of procedure. I should like to know from you, Sir, what changes, if any, have taken place recently governing the tabling of questions in this House. I have addressed to the Minister for Industry and Commerce on different occasions questions relative to the disbursement of funds by An Foras Tionscail. I put down the first of these questions in the month of June and I tabled some others recently. I received from your office a letter stating: "I must disallow the two questions tabled by you to the Minister for Industry and Commerce regarding obligations to An Foras Tionscail under the Undeveloped Areas Act as the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter."
Business of Dáil.
We cannot have an argument on that.
Let him make his point.
The Deputy cannot have an argument on the ruling.
With respect, the Chair does not know what the Deputy is talking about yet.
I have not elaborated.
I do not want the Deputy to elaborate. The ruling has been made. The Deputy has got his answer in the letter dated the 10th December. The Minister has no official responsibility in the matter. That is my ruling. The Deputy has a regular way of challenging that ruling if he so desires. He may not do so now.
I ask you what changes have been made in the regulations?
I have let the Deputy make his point in the House. He will now resume his seat.
I am going to suggest that you are acting as an instrument of the Government Party to supress information that Deputies are entitled to.
The Government Party view on that matter might be very interesting.
If you gave me permission, I could prove that your ruling is not consistent, with all due respect to you, Sir.
I can only leave the Deputy's statement to the consideration of the Home.