It is proposed to take business in the following order: No. 4 and, in No. 4, Vote 29 (resumed) and Supplementary Estimate; Private Members' Business will be taken from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., No. 11 (resumed).
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, may I ask the Taoiseach why he refused to answer Question No. 243 which I addressed to him as Head of the Government and why he transferred it to the Minister for Foreign Affairs when it was clearly a matter that could only be answered appropriately by the Head of the Government responsible for the Ministers whom he had appointed?
It is the prerogative of the Government to assign to any Minister the answering of questions where they deem appropriate, a prerogative exercised frequently and freely by the Coalition Government.
Would the Taoiseach not regard it as appropriate that he as Head of the Government would answer a question which involved the possible participation by members of his Government in St. Patrick's Day celebrations which could include participation by organisations which he himself had denounced?
We cannot have a discussion on this.
The answer would have been a factual answer in any event. The Deputy will have the answer today. I do not see why he is creating any fuss about who is answering the question at this stage if he gets the desired information today.
The Taoiseach may be wondering when——
We cannot have a discussion on this. I permitted the Deputy to raise the matter but we cannot have an argument.
I think it is a matter of national importance. Why I am concerned about avoidance and evasion by the Taoiseach in regard to answering the question, which was clearly appropriate to him, is because of the inconsistency the Taoiseach has shown——
Item No. 4.
——in areas of this kind.
Item No. 4.
I want to refute the allegation of avoidance and evasion. I do my duty here as I see it and I am not afraid of anybody.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
The decision to transfer the question was the Taoiseach's and the Taoiseach's appearance on British television with the godfathers of violence would lead one to wonder why the inconsistency.
We cannot have a discussion of this.
The Taoiseach has given credibility to these people by his participation in a British television programme.
Deputies
Shame.
Item No. 4.
Before you move to that, might I, with your permission, raise on the Adjournment this evening the question of why a high risk prisoner was allowed to escape for seven days?
I will communicate with the Deputy during the day.