asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the fact that the Press Officer for Aer Lingus has indicated that the company would act in accordance with a clear direction from the Government on the decision about sponsorship of the World Golf Competition at Waterville, County Kerry, and that a clear direction of unequivocal approval for the competition has now been given by the Minister of State in the Department of the Environment as outlined in a press report (details supplied), he will state the grounds for the altered attitude on this issue to that enunciated in the Dáil on 14 February last.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - World Golf Competition.
16.
The question raised by the Deputy no longer arises since, as he is no doubt aware, the organisers of the World Golf Competition have announced that the event will not take place in Ireland. The Government's basic position was outlined in the Dáil by the Minister of State on my behalf on 14 February last.
I read about this in The Kerryman. Why is it that the Minister of State apparently wrote a letter to the sponsors of this enterprise saying that he approved of it as Minister of State, while the Minister himself was taking up a very forward-looking and welcome stand here in this House and outside? There appears to be a difference of opinion.
The only information I have from the report to which the Deputy refers is that the Minister of State and other Deputies were quoted as having said that they had been in contact with the people in Waterville expressing full support for the running of the championship but there is no evidence of anything more than that.
Pontius Pilate. The other Deputy involved was a Labour Deputy.
I am not a Pontius Pilate.
I am not saying that the Minister is a Pontius Pilate. Effectively what happened was that a Fine Gael Deputy was put in the position of being opposed to the enterprise while the Fianna Fáil people had the advantage of taking a good position here in the House while taking up a totally different position in the constituency.
I have allowed the Deputy considerable scope but I would ask him now please to cease making speeches.
I am being totally relevant.
It is not the wish of the Chair that Question Time should become totally out of hand.
Did not Fianna Fáil assume a two-faced position on this issue?
Far from it.
They do that on every issue.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.