Deputy Desmond has requested permission to make a personal statement and I have permitted it.
Personal Explanation by Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, thank you for giving me permission to make a personal statement. In the Dáil yesterday the Minister for the Public Service, during the course of his reply to the debate on the motion to set up the Joint Committee on State-sponsored Bodies, referred to my criticism of some Members of the House for not making, in my opinion, a sufficient contribution to the working of the House. He said:
Deputy Desmond should be one of the slowest people in the House to say this because his own record in regard to attendance and performance at committees is not the best in the House and I do not think he ought to denigrate other Members in that way.
With your permission, A Cheann Comhairle, I wish to put the record straight. In the lifetime of this Dáil I have served as a member of the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges and I have never missed a meeting or failed to attend any deputation from that committee to date. I also attended fully the Dáil Committee of Selection as recorded in the reports.
In the previous Dáil I served as Chairman of the Misuse of Drugs Bill Committee and I attended all 14 meetings of that committee. I was Chairman of the Law Reform Bill Dáil Special Committee and I attended all meetings of that committee. I was also Chairman of the Joint Library Committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas and the records will show that I had a full attendance of all meetings of that committee.
In addition, I was a member of the Special Committee on the Family Law Maintenance Bill and I had 100 per cent attendance at meetings of that committee. Fifteen meetings of the Special Committee of the Wildlife Bill were held and the records show I attended 14 of those 15 meetings. In the last Dáil 25 meetings of the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges were held, very contentious ones as we remember, and I attended 22 of those 25 meetings. Seventeen meetings of the Committee of Selection were held and I signed 17 reports of those meetings. In addition, I was a member of the main Committee of the Joint Committee on EEC Secondary Legislation and two of its sub-committees, and I attended several of these meetings. I have not had an opportunity of checking the full attendance but I had at least a 30 per cent attendance which is at least as good as the two out of six meetings of one Joint Committee which the Minister attended in the last Dáil.
In these circumstances, in view of the fact that the Minister cast a serious imputation on my work as a Dáil Deputy, and particularly as Labour Party Whip with my colleagues during this period, I wish to avail of this opportunity to refute the allegation made by the Minister. In view of the publicity given in some newspapers to this comment by the Minister, I wish to set the record straight. During these six years as a full-time Dáil Deputy— unlike Deputy Colley who took up outside interests after leaving office— I served on more committees and attended more committee meetings than any other Member of the House. I should prefer to leave judgment on the Minister's comment about my performance on these committees in the hands of the people who elected me to this House.
Am I allowed to comment, a Cheann Comhairle?
The Minister may.
As the Deputy will be aware—and indeed it is clear from the small portion he quoted from what I said—my primary purpose was to regret the denigration by Deputy Desmond of his fellow Deputies in this House. I still deplore his doing so. I was notified approximately half an hour ago that the Deputy intended to make a statement on this subject. I had a number of appointments and had not much opportunity to check up on the matter. In the short time available to me, I had a look at the records of the Special Committee on the Wildlife Bill and I discovered that Deputy Desmond was not present at the first meeting. At the next meeting on 11 May 1976 he is recorded as being present but did not contribute. It is possible he did not, but those of us who know Deputy Desmond know this is an unusual occurance——
I attended 14 out of 15 meetings.
——and that what happened frequently with Deputy Desmond was that he attended, was recorded and then left.
That is not true.
(Interruptions.)
This is disgraceful.
A well known characteristic.
The incontrovertible fact is that Deputy Desmond did not on that occasion contribute to the discussions of the committee.
I certainly did contribute and the records will show that.
I have been here and the records show that on 11 May 1976 the Deputy did not contribute at that committee.
That was the reappointment of a chairman.
That was the second meeting. At the first meeting the Deputy was not there. Similarly at the meeting on 15 June 1976 he is recorded as being present but not contributing. At the meeting on 22 June 1976 there was a vote at which Deputy Desmond was not present.
That is a Special Committee on the Wildlife Bill.
At the meeting on 26 October 1976 there was a vote at which Deputy Desmond was not present. In the short time available to me to check the records I have been able to turn this up. I have not much doubt that if I had more time I could show more. No doubt Deputy Desmond will recall a letter to a newspaper from somebody I do not know which described his coming in——
From the Irish Coursing Club.
——late to a meeting of the committee, not having his papers, seeking the papers from the clerk, looking at them for a short time, and then disappearing from the meeting. Deputy Desmond may have had very good reasons——
Now we see the sort of man we are dealing with.
——for being absent from these votes at these committees, for not being in attendance on other occasions——
Apologise and sit down.
——but the fact is that Deputy Desmond is the one—and this is why I said what I said yesterday— who gets up regularly and talks about this House and the need for the committee system, and complains in this House about the non-performance of so many Deputies and their non-contribution to the work of the House. I do not think Deputy Desmond was justified in making that comment. I did not think so yesterday and I do not think so today. He should not hold himself out as the examplar of how the work should be done when he has a record such as I have indicated.
The Minister is a byword for lecturing his own colleagues on low standards in high places.
The Deputy is trying to get away from the subject.
I am amazed at the Minister.
I am sure Deputy Desmond appreciates the assistance from Fine Gael to cover up his hypocritical statement criticising Deputies in this House.
On a point of order, this is the first time in my experience that a personal statement has been allowed in the House. I understood, perhaps wrongly, that a personal statement was not queried. In view of the statement made by the Minister I wonder would the Committee on Procedure and Privileges rule on his behaviour today?
Would the Deputy care to indicate one sentence I uttered which is untrue?
Can I take it this matter will be referred to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges?
One sentence Deputy. That is all you are asked for.
I am asking to have it referred to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
If it is true what is the Deputy complaining about?
I am not complaining.
This is not a point of order.
Will this matter be considered by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges in view of the unfair allegation——
Which unfair allegation?
I am calling Deputy Ryan.