asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development if he will make a statement on recent reports of an informal association of businessmen prepared to assist in industrial development and in the rescue of firms in financial difficulties and on the desirability or otherwise of official countenancing of such broad-spectrum economic activity, apart from the development and expansion of their own existing individual businesses, while official agencies such as Fóir Teoranta and the Industrial Development Authority exist for those specific purposes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Development Group.
13.
I am aware of recent reports of a group of Irish businessmen who are prepared to put up funds to assist in industrial development. This is an expression of public confidence in the actions taken by the present Government to get the economy moving again and is to be welcomed. It is not possible to say how any action taken by the group would affect the operations of existing official agencies until more details are made known of what is envisaged.
I should think not. Would the Minister not regard it as a matter for concern that this group, whatever its composition or intentions —express or not express—should not cut across the functions or appear to usurp the functions of the IDA or Fóir Teoranta? Should not that be a matter of concern for the Government?
The Deputy reads things into situations which most reasonable people do not see at all.
Next question.
Is this not an important matter? Are we to be restricted to two supplementary questions on this?
You need not be permitted any. It is a matter for the Chair.
Now do not give us that. We will not take it.
Please do not address the Chair in that manner. The Chair is the sole judge of whether supplementary questions will be asked and the Deputy will withdraw that remark.
No, Sir——
I will ask the Deputy to leave the House.
I do not mean to be offensive.
I will ask the Deputy to leave the House or withdraw the remark.
I withdraw it, but allow me say that I think it is threatening of you to say to us that if we are not careful you will not allow any supplementaries or that they are there, so to speak, at your discretion.
There is no Member of the House who is better aware than Deputy Kelly of Standing Orders and there is no obligation on the Chair to allow supplementary questions. It is a matter of his judgment.
There is a convention that the Chair does and there is a convention that the more important the question the greater is the leniency in that regard.
The Chair in this case is allowing too many.
To allow two supplementaries on Question No. 13 is not reasonable.
We are answering an average of 20 questions in an hour.
When the Chair says that supplementary questions may be allowed at the sole discretion of the Chair, surely that is an abuse of the Chair. Are we not dealing with convention? There is a long standing convention that supplementaries will be used——
Is the Deputy asserting that a Deputy must be allowed supplementary questions?
No, I am not saying that. I am saying——
Next question.