Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 14 Dec 1983

Vol. 346 No. 10

Order of Business.

The Taoiseach

It is proposed to take Nos. 4, 5, 2, 13, 6, 14, 15 and 16. Private Members' Business will be No. 22.

By agreement the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. today and the hour at which business is to be interrupted shall be 12 midnight.

Business shall be interrupted at 3.30 p.m. today to take Nos. 6 and 14. The proceedings on the Second Stage of No. 14, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 6.30 p.m. and the proceedings on the Committee, Fourth and Fifth Stages, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. by one question, which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall in relation to amendments include only amendments set down by the Minister for Finance.

The proceedings on No. 15, if not previously concluded shall be brought to a conclusion at 10 p.m. by one question, which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall in relation to amendments include only amendments set down by the Minister for the Public Service.

Mr. Gene Fitzgerald

In view of the continuing dispute at the Goulding plant in Cork and the fears being expressed for its future, would the Taoiseach as a matter of urgency encourage the new Minister for Labour to intervene in the interest of the continuation of employment there?

An Ceann Comhairle

Could the Deputy not find a more appropriate time to raise this question?

Mr. Gene Fitzgerald

In a week like this when the order is outlined for the sitting until midnight it is almost impossible for me to find a more appropriate way of raising the issue. There is the consideration also that the Dáil is expected to go into recess on Friday so that there will not be the opportunity of raising the matter next week, and by the time we resume, it may be too late to do anything in this case.

An Ceann Comhairle

In the Chair's opinion, with the tight schedule for today it is very important that we keep to that and not raise any extraneous matter. I am ruling the Deputy out of order.

Mr. Gene Fitzgerald

I accept your ruling, but perhaps my intervention will provoke the new Minister into taking an interest in the issue.

An Ceann Comhairle

You would never know.

Mr. Leyden

Regarding item No. 15, that is, the Minister and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 1983, would the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs lay before the House the conditions relating to the postmasters and sub-postmasters conciliation and arbitration agreement? This must be laid before the House prior to the recess because the new boards come into being on 1 January.

An Ceann Comhairle

According to my information, all Stages of that Bill will be taken today and at that time the Deputy will have ample opportunity of raising questions on it.

Mr. Leyden

The point is that before the Bill is taken the document must be laid before the House in accordance with procedure.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Bill is a general Bill but the Deputy will have the opportunity of raising on it the matter that concerns him.

Mr. Leyden

This concerns people in your constituency, too. Your local postmaster is very concerned and I am sure he will be very disappointed to hear that you have ruled me out of order this morning. I understand there is a 90 per cent increase——

An Ceann Comhairle

Would the Deputy be surprised to learn that when the Chair is presiding he does not have a constituency?

Mr. Wilson

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the Government decision not to decentralise part of the Department of Agriculture to Cavan town.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick West): I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of the about-turn of the Minister for Agriculture in allowing into the UK imports of butter from New Zealand.

Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Deasy)

There is no about-turn. It is a continuation of the existing system.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick West): The Minister gave a commitment in this regard.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Chair will communicate with the Deputy, but I would suggest that when Deputies are giving notice of intention to raise matters on the Adjournment they refrain from being argumentative.

Mr. Wilson

I make such requests in the most pleasant way. In respect of the matter that I am seeking to raise on the Adjournment tonight, I have asked six times.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Wilson has been unfortunate. If we had not had a half day last week, his question would have been taken on the Adjournment.

Mr. Deasy

I would be only too delighted to have a discussion on the matter raised by Deputy Noonan.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick West): Obviously, the Minister is guilty.

Mr. S. Walsh

I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the losses suffered by sheep farmers on the Dublin mountains in the last week.

An Ceann Comhairle

I will communicate with the Deputy.

Mr. P. Gallagher

I shall try to use a manner that will not be argumentative and, perhaps, the Chair will treat me a little more favourably than my normal request. I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the problem of rat infested schools at Clogher and Kilclooney, County Donegal due to be replaced by a new central school at Kilclooney. However, the Department of Education are using all sorts of excuses for not proceeding with the work such as exorbitant prices for site development although they passed that project.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Chair would like to hear Deputy Gallagher, if he intended to be argumentative. The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.

Mr. Conaghan

I should like to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of a question on the Order Paper in regard to the provision of an airport at Letterkenny.