It is proposed to take No. 21.
Order of Business.
Might I ask the Tánaiste whether as a result of my request a few weeks ago to have time made available for a discussion of the Health initiatives a decision has since been taken by the Government, particularly now in view of the budget having been introduced last week, which was one of the reasons advanced by the Taoiseach last week why time was very tight? Could I renew the request or would the Tánaiste indicate whether time has been granted or has been considered to be granted?
No further consideration has been given to the matter raised by the Deputy.
Is there a reluctance on the part of the Government to have a discussion on the Health initiatives or do they not want the Dáil to discuss them at all?
I think the Taoiseach felt that in present circumstances there was no point in having a discussion at this time.
But the British Parliament can discuss them.
The matter can be reconsidered.
Will it be reconsidered?
I shall ask the Taoiseach to consider it.
May I also ask the Tánaiste to put it to the Taoiseach and the Government that, in view of the fact that anyone from Hong Kong to the Kremlin is quite entitled and qualified to talk about this matter, it seems crazy that this, the only remaining assembly in the country, after the abolition of Stormont, seems to be abdicating and cannot have a discussion on a matter that is vital to us? Surely it is absolutely wrong that experts can be called in from all parts of the world and given time to discuss it while there is no word officially from this House——
We cannot discuss the matter now.
——which is allegedly the elected assembly of the people of part of the country. A Cheann Comhairle, I have had three questions rejected by your office.
The Deputy may not raise the matter now. If he wishes to see me about them I shall explain why they were ruled out of order.
The reasons are pretty clear.
As the Deputy is well aware, these matters may not be raised in the House.
I shall have to raise them somewhere else, because this House does not seem any longer to be capable of having anything discussed.
I am prepared to see the Deputy any time if he wishes to say anything further about the questions.
The questions were relevant to this House and to the consideration of the matter I tried to have raised here, that is, the Health initiatives.
And the Chair gave reasons why they could not be raised in the House.
The reasons you have given me are not, in fact, reasons.
As the Deputy is well aware for many years, the matter may not be raised in the House.
It is a matter of vital importance. The Taoiseach, according to you, Sir, does not have the authority to protest against the murder of McCann in Belfast. Neither has he any authority——
The Deputy cannot use the House to make irrelevant speeches. These matters do not arise.
The point is that they are not being allowed to arise.
They are not in order. The Deputy is well aware that we have Standing Orders in the House.
Three questions out of four have to be disallowed because they might embarrass the people on the Front Bench of Fianna Fáil.
That is wrong. The Chair does not listen to Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. The Chair rules according to Standing Orders.
I asked a question and, according to the letter I have here, you have dealt with one part of it which, according to the Standing Orders, would justify you technically in ruling it out, but it was a double question, and the second leg of it has not been dealt with and is not against Standing Orders.
If the Deputy wishes to see me on that matter I shall discuss it with him.
On the question as to whether the House should give time for the discussion of the Health initiatives, the House has given time recently to discuss the Northern situation. Because of the Health initiatives we are virtually back to the 1920 situation, in that Britain controls what happens in the Six Counties. Surely this House should be given an adequate opportunity to consider this question, and I would urge the Tánaiste, in speaking to the Taoiseach, to make this point.
I have nothing to add to what I said before. The Taoiseach spoke on this matter and what he said was generally accepted by the House.
May I point out to the Tánaiste that in asking for a debate on the Health initiatives it is in order that the elected representatives, the representatives of this side of the border would in this Assembly have the opportunity of discussing what is contained in those initiatives rather than that we should hear one voice from this House or one voice from each party outside this House making a statement as to what he thinks they contain.