It is proposed to take No. 4, Votes 37 (Resumed) and 38, and Votes 21 to 26, inclusive.
Order of Business.
With some trepidation, a Cheann Comhairle, may I ask would it be possible to make time available for the Minister for Transport to make a statement to the House about the air traffic controllers' dispute which threatens to break out again over the weekend?
The position is that the business for the day has already been arranged by order of the House and consists of Estimates only. The only question was which Estimates would be taken. The Taoiseach has announced that. I am afraid the Deputy cannot be accommodated today.
Would I be out of order in making a suggestion? In cases like this, if the Opposition raised these matters with us through the Whips rather than in this manner here, where I am not supposed to answer them, we would be able to discuss these matters and in many instances reach agreement. I hope I am not out of order in making that comment.
The Taoiseach is.
I wish to be of help.
I can assure the House the idea appeals to the Chair very much. The Chair would not raise the slightest objection to the Whips having a talk before the House sits and coming in and presenting something to the House.
Having interpreted a number of nods and winks between the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, I think the Minister would be willing to make the statement today if he were given the opportunity.
Perhaps the nods and winks would now take themselves into the Whips' office.
Perhaps I could take the liberty of raising something again this morning. Yesterday I sought to raise on the Adjournment the very serious matter of 90 per cent of the entertainment premises in Dublin constituting a serious fire hazard. My request was refused. At this stage this morning could I ask the Minister for the Environment to make some comment on that? We do not want another Stardust. This is a very serious matter.
It is not in order on the Order of Business.
I appreciate that.
The Deputy's request was adjudicated on yesterday and the result of those adjudications and deliberations was conveyed to the Deputy. There will be no question on the Adjournment today as the Order of Business does not provide for it.
I understand that. Does the Minister wish to make some comment on the statement by Dublin Corporation that they are now unable to handle the situation so far as 90 per cent of these premises are concerned?
The Deputy knows that is not in order. If we allowed one departure there would be another departure and some days the subject matter would be——
Tendentious.
——friendly and orderly, and some days it would be very contentious and we would have uproar. That is what I am trying to avoid.
This is a very quiet morning.
Mr. Leonard
Is there a time limit for the conclusion of the debate on the Estimate for the Department of Agriculture?
Yes. There is an order of the House which provides that the Estimates for the Departments of Agriculture and Lands will be concluded at 12.30 p.m. The Minister will be called upon to conclude at 12 o'clock.
Mr. Leonard
Last night I raised this point. I suggested that speakers on both sides of the House should be facilitated even for a short time. I mentioned 15 minutes. Over 5½ hours last night we had five speakers. When one speaker moved the Adjournment he had been speaking for a short time. At that time there were five of us who were prepared to make a contribution. With the time available to us now, a little over an hour, we would not have ten minutes each. I suggest we should be facilitated as we were promised we would be.
There is a lot in the suggestion made by Deputy Leonard. The Chair has heard a rumour, but it is only a rumour, that some arrangements have been made on the lines suggested by the Deputy.
(Dún Laoghaire): We will endeavour to co-operate fully. We will try to make certain that everybody gets an opportunity to speak.
Unless we decide now before the Minister of State gets in that we will all get some time — and the Minister is supposed to get in at 12 o'clock — four or five of us who sat here throughout the whole debate yesterday evening will not be allowed in today.
The best way to ensure that we have the most time possible is to start immediately. Perhaps the Whips could discuss the matter.
I see from newspaper reports this morning that the Minister of State at the Department of Labour, my young colleague, Deputy Birmingham, is still apparently a member of Dublin Corporation. Perhaps the Taoiseach would indicate what the position is in that regard.
Did the Deputy not like my contribution?
I have answered such questions repeatedly in the House.
Dáil reform.
There seems to be an unaccustomed outbreak of reasonableness here this morning so perhaps the Taoiseach could tell us the position.
I am ruling that out of order. The Taoiseach said he has answered questions on the matter. This is the sort of thing which could give rise to a debate.
I know it is, but it is ongoing. The Taoiseach may have answered the question months ago or last week, but apparently the man is still a member of Dublin Corporation.
Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition would consider putting down a question.
We would not get to it in time. The Minister will have resigned before we could get to that question.