asked the Minister for Education if he will make a full statement on the decision of the Teachers Unions of Ireland to "black" the appointment of a whole-time permanent teaching post; and if he will indicate the action, if any, he intends to take in the matter.
Written Answers. - Teaching Post.
467.
This is a matter for the VEC concerned and it would not be appropriate for me to make a statement on it.
I wish to draw the attention of the Ceann Comhairle to the fact that the bells did not ring as is customary at the commencement of Question Time in the House today. Also the monitor of the closed circuit system within the House indicated that questions to the Minister for Economic Planning and Development were being answered, rather than questions to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
I am not aware of the last part of the matter raised by the Deputy, but I am aware that the bells failed to function when the switch was pressed today owing to a fuse. The engineer was called in immediately. I regret any inconvenience caused to Deputies. It was due to a technical fault over which neither the Chair nor the staff had any control. I am informed that the bells are now in order.
A message from the ushers was delivered to my office by word of mouth that Question Time had commenced, but the monitor in my office indicated that the Minister for Economic Planning and Development was answering questions rather than the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. I had a question on the Order Paper which I missed as a result of that.
The Minister for Economic Planning and Development was answering for the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
The monitor indicated that his questions were being answered and not those to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.