andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Local Government the total number of houses built by local authorities in each of the past ten years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Housing.
49.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
|
Year |
Total number of dwellings completed by local authorities |
|
1959-60 |
2,414 |
|
1960-61 |
1,463 |
|
1961-62 |
1,238 |
|
1962-63 |
1,828 |
|
1963-64 |
1,856 |
|
1964-65 |
2,307 |
|
1965-66 |
2,989 |
|
1966-67 |
4,079 |
|
1967-68 |
4,045 |
|
1968-69 |
4,613 |
The Minister got out of that easily enough.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply I propose to raise this on the Adjournment.
May I bring it to your attention, Sir, that since this Dáil reassembled the Minister has consistently made a mockery of the Opposition in so far as he refuses point-blank to answer legitimate supplementary questions. The Minister's lack of knowledge, in my opinion——
We cannot have a discussion on this.
If the supplementary question was too difficult for the Minister he should have said so.
Is he not raising it on the Adjournment?
I was not permitted to ask a supplementary——
We have 136 questions to deal with.
We should be allowed to ask supplementary questions. The Chair is depriving us of our right to ask supplementary questions. I wanted to ask a supplementary question on Question No. 47 and the Chair refused it.
The Chair refused me, too. It is very unfair.
It is not unfair.
I suggest that parliamentary democracy will be turned into a farce if we cannot ask questions. We know there is a campaign backed by the Irish Independent to muzzle us and abolish the parliamentary questions system. It will not work. We will ask questions and demand answers.
Might I point out to Deputies that the number of supplementaries allowed is a matter for the Chair and not for Deputies?
The Minister is bound to answer the original question.
When Deputy Cruise-O'Brien asked a supplementary question which was not replied to Deputy O'Connell tried to ask one supplementary and the Chair immediately called the next question. Surely one supplementary was not sufficient.
The case of the Minister necessitates separate examination in this House. He is being consistently rude.
Deputy Dr. Cruise-O'Brien did not ask any supplementary question——
He did ask a supplementary.
I tried to ask a supplementary——
I answered all the questions I was asked.
May I be permitted to ask a supplementary question on Question No. 47?
We are at Question No. 50 now.