It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 6 (resumed), 7, 8, 9 (resumed) and 5. Business will be interrupted at 3.30 p.m. to take No. 5 and the order will be resumed thereafter. Private Members Business from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. will be No. 18 (resumed). It is proposed by agreement that next week the House will not sit on Tuesday but will meet at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 18 March.
Order of Business.
With the permission of the Chair I should like to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of question No. 40 on yesterday's Order Paper.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if he would consider appointing a Minister of State to the Department of Social Welfare in view of the fact that tens of thousands of people are without payment of social welfare benefits. By the Government's own admission that Department is in a state of chaos.
That does not arise on the Order of Business.
The appointment of a Minister of State?
I am sorry but it does not arise on the Order of Business.
With the permission of the Chair I should like to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 113 on today's Order Paper in view of the consequences for residential areas of the Government's plans for the Southern Cross motorway.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
On a point of order. I should like to ask the Chair if he would be prepared to meet a deputation from interested parties to discuss his rulings, as they are extremely restrictive and are blocking the democratic process in the House. Would the Chair be prepared to meet with the Opposition parties, if the Government side are not interested, because his rulings are making it extremely difficult for Deputies to perform their function in this House?
I do not accept that but I understand that the parties are meeting to discuss this whole matter.
Apart from any change in the procedures of the House, your interpretation of the rules as I have known them over the last 15 years are, to say the least, extremely restrictive. Would the Chair be prepared to meet the parties?
This is a matter that the parties are discussing ——
So you are totally dictatorial in the matter?
I am not. I am ruling in accordance with Standing Orders and precedent.
Not in accordance with precedent.
Not in accordance with precedent or in accordance with the normal procedures of the House. You are doing an incredible amount of damage to the democratic principles of the House.
Item No. 5.
Does Deputy Cluskey know what Standing Orders are? Every morning he gets up like a jack-in-the-box on the Order of Business.
Listen to that Pandora box.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Murphy should permit Deputy Deasy to resume the debate on the Social Welfare (Amendment) Bill, 1981.
After last night that Deputy has not too much to be proud of.
The Deputy should make some of the statements he made here outside the House and he will see how far he will get with them.