During Question Time today we had a number of Parliamentary Secretaries deputising for Ministers, which is quite in order. In the course of his reply to Question No. 17 dealing with the attitude of the Minister for Education towards Deputies, I regarded the reply as unsatisfactory and not in accordance with fact. I found either no reply to supplementaries or unsatisfactory replies. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education also stood in for the Minister for Industry and Commerce. I am sure this is permissible, but——
Adjournment Debate: Correspondence With Department.
I should prefer if the Deputy got down to the subject matter of Question No. 17.
I am wondering should I get down to deal with this matter——
The Deputy sought my permission to raise this matter on the Adjournment and he should proceed to deal with it.
I was granted permission to raise with the Minister for Education the subject matter of Question No. 17. In my opinion the Parliamentary Secretary is not capable on behalf of the Minister, to give the reasons for a ministerial decision and the factors which caused that decision.
That is not the subject matter of the question. The Deputy is dealing with another matter. The Deputy will have another opportunity to do what he is now doing. I want him to deal with the subject matter of Question No. 17 on today's Order Paper.
In view of the fact that the Minister is not here but is replaced by his Parliamentary Secretary, with whom I was dissatisfied earlier in the day, I ask leave to have the Question on the Adjournment postponed.
That would be quite irregular. The Deputy must proceed now to deal with the subject matter of the question. If he wishes to withdraw, that is another matter.
I do wish to do so.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.05 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday 19th March, 1975.