: It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 4 and 5.
Order of Business .
(Cavan-Monaghan): I wish to raise a matter of some considerable public importance. In view of the concern throughout the country following the meeting over the week-end of all representatives of the Garda Síochána below the rank of superintendent and the statement issued following the meeting——
: This is ruled out of order.
(Cavan-Monaghan): If the Chair will just let me continue, I do not think it is.
: The question has been ruled out of order and I cannot permit it to be raised.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Chair might hear me first. It is not a question. I am asking the Taoiseach to make a statement and in view of the statement issued following——.
: This does not arise on the Order of Business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am asking the Taoiseach, if the Chair would permit me, to avail of the opportunity to make a statement in the House concerning this matter and, with all due respect, I submit that that is in order.
: I am sorry. The matter is not in order and it cannot be raised.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Far be it from me to do anything out of order but I am asking——
: The question is out of order and it cannot be raised in this way.
(Cavan-Monaghan): With all respect, the Chair can rule me out of order if he will hear what I am requesting.
: I am aware that this question is already ruled out of order. It was ruled out of order and the reasons for it being ruled out of order were conveyed to the Deputy.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It was not. I did not raise it and nothing was conveyed to me.
: It is irregular to raise it in this way.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is of grave national importance.
: It may be, but there are other ways in which this matter can be raised and I cannot allow it to be raised on the Order of Business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Taoiseach came in here the other day and established a precedent for it. He came in twice this day week on the very same topic.
: It is not in order and I will have to ask the Deputy to resume his seat, please.
(Cavan-Monaghan): If I put down a question, can it be answered?
: The question cannot be answered today. The Deputy may submit a question for the Order Paper. I cannot argue with the Deputy on this. It is simply not in order and we have to carry on with the business of the House.
(Cavan-Monaghan): With all due respect, the Taoiseach made a statement on the very same topic this day week.
: The Deputy is out of order.
: Can the Chair tell us when we would be in order in raising a matter of public importance? We are told that this Government intend to have a more open attitude towards this House to facilitate the Opposition in raising matters of public importance. Yet the first thing we attempt to do in this session is ruled out of order. There must be some guidelines for the Opposition as to what they can do.
: The Deputy is well aware that this is out of order. He can see my officials or myself in relation to the manner in which such a matter can be raised.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I appeal to the Chair. What I was talking about was the Garda meeting, not the arrest of anybody or anything that is sub judice.
: This is very disorderly and the Deputy knows it.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I do not know it. What I wanted to know about was the meeting of the Garda and their concern——
: The Deputy is persisting in asking the question although he knows I have ruled it out of order.
: The Deputy is looking for guidance.
: On a point of order, I wish to clarify something. I submitted a question on this matter which included a reference to a charge which had been made and it was ruled out of order on the grounds that the charge was sub judice. The question raised by Deputy Fitzpatrick does not refer to that. Therefore the ruling on my question is irrelevant to the question Deputy Fitzpatrick is raising and does not apply to it.
: The question being raised here is not relevant to the Order of Business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is Sir, I am asking the Taoiseach to avail of an opportunity to make a statement to the House.
: It is not relevant.
: For my guidance could the Chair tell me would the subject matter of a meeting of all ranks of the Garda of the nature of which was held fall into the category of national importance and urgency?
: That is not a matter for me to decide.
: The Chair is the only person who can decide.
: It is not a matter for me to decide what is important and what is not. I am just operating on the basis of the Standing Orders. What has been raised here is not in order. I do not propose to argue with Deputies.
: I am not arguing with the Chair. I am only asking for guidance. In Standing Orders it is stated that matters of urgent national importance may be raised by way of Special Notice Question. If such a question is raised in the House will it be recognised by the Chair as falling into the category of being an important national question?
: The Deputy is aware that there is a particular way in which these matters can be raised.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Let me ask one question.
: Surely if this is clarified now it can possibly avoid friction with the Chair tomorrow or the day after.
: I have already said that such a matter must be put to the Ceann Comhairle before the sitting of the House.
: I accept that fully.
: I am not going to argue any further.
: What I want to know is does this situation fall into the category of national urgency.
: That is not a matter that I have to decide here.
: On a point of order, most respectfully, I would like the Chair to tell me what he is ruling out of order and why he is ruling it out of order.
: I am ruling out of order any matter which is not relevant to the Order of Business and that is the situation as it is here. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that we are confined on the Order of Business to relevant questions, that is questions either relating to the business being taken or other business on the Order Paper. As I already explained, these matters could be raised with me and my staff earlier. I am proceeding now to Item No. 1.