It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1 and 6 (resumed). Private Members' Business will be taken from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., item No. 14.
Order of Business.
On a point of order, Sir, may I ask you why you refused to permit me to raise a private notice question given to you this morning?
The Deputy will resume his seat. He is not in order in attempting to raise my ruling. The question is anticipatory of the budget debate and cannot be raised by private notice question or ordinary question. He can raise the matter during the budget debate.
May I finish my question to you?
No, you are not allowed to question my ruling.
May I finish my point of order?
If you are questioning my ruling on that matter you are out of order.
May I finish my point of order?
A point of order, Deputy Desmond.
I asked you why you refused to permit me to raise a private special notice question bringing to your attention that in the financial statement of the Minister for Finance——
I am sorry, Deputy, you are not in order. Please resume your seat. You are disorderly now and if you do not resume your seat I will have to ask you to leave the House.
I protest that I am entitled to ask a question on a point of order.
I answered the Deputy and he was answered previously. It is not a point of order.
I wish to put a point of order to you.
When a question is disallowed it is not in order to question why it is disallowed or to argue the point.
I wish to put a point of order and you may reply, Sir. I asked you why you ruled out my raising in this House a grave matter of urgent public importance and bringing to your attention——
That is not in order. That is not a point of order. You are questioning my ruling.
May I finish?
You are not allowed to raise that question now.
May I finish first?
Let us hear it anyway. What is it all about?
I want to bring it to your attention.
You have brought it to my attention.
I have not yet brought it to your attention.
Deputy, you had better be fast and if you are trying to raise a question which has been disallowed you are disorderly.
You had better not try to browbeat any Members of this House. I will not take it from you.
(Interruptions.)
A point of order only.
I brought to your attention that a particular figure in the financial statement concluding table was, in my opinion, gravely incorrect and I asked you if you could ask the Minister for Finance in relation to income tax projections for 1982 if he was satisfied that the figure was correct. Again I want to ask you why you refused to permit a matter of most urgent public importance——
That is not a point of order. You have abused your position here by raising that question now when you know it was disallowed because it is anticipatory of the budget debate. You had an opportunity to raise it on the budget debate. Your collegues have that opportunity now.
On a point of order——
That was not a point of order. That was a ruse by the Deputy to try to override points of order and the rulings of the Chair. You are disorderly if you continue in that vein now.
You are the worst Ceann Comhairle I have ever seen before this House.
That is your opinion and you are entitled to it.
You are a public disgrace.
You may resent me, Deputy, but I am afraid you will have to continue as you are now.
(Mayo West): The statement to the Chair by Deputy Desmond, “You are a public disgrace” is disgraceful. It does not conform with the rules of order in this House and he should be asked to withdraw it and I am asking him to withdraw it.
In deference to the House I will withdraw the remark.
You will withdraw it or leave the House.
In deference to the House I will withdraw the remark.
Have I the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to raise a question to the Minister for the Environment regarding the situation of fire officers?
Do you wish to raise it on the Adjournment?
Yes.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.