A Ceann Comhairle, I wish to announce, for the information of the House, that Mr. Peter Sutherland, SC, yesterday tendered, and the President accepted, his resignation as Attorney General arising from his appointment from January 1985 as a Commissioner of the European Communities. On my nomination, the President today appointed Mr. John Rogers, SC, to succeed Mr. Sutherland as Attorney General.
Appointment of Attorney General.
Croneyism. Jobs for the boys. That is a lollipop for Labour.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
If Deputy McLoughlin had a little decorum, he might get the job. Anyone could get this job.
I would be for the road if the Opposition were in power.
The Government should be ashamed of themselves.
Order, please. The Taoiseach has made an announcement for the information of the Dáil and, in accordance with long standing practice, no debate is allowed on it, nor are any questions allowed on it. That is a very long standing practice, and if I am to depart from it in this instance——
That is very convenient for this Government.
I wish Deputies would not continually hurl insults at the Chair. If the Chair is not satisfactory, there is an orderly way of getting rid of him; but the Deputies should not insult the institution of the Chair.
I find it difficult to accept that I cannot ask a question, a purely factual question.
No, Deputy, I am sorry.
You will not permit me my question?
Change Standing Orders, Deputy Haughey. Put down a resolution dealing with me if you think that I am not behaving properly.
I should like to have had the opportunity of wishing Mr. Peter Sutherland well——
That is not in order.
Surely a little courtesy is in order.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I should like to wish him well.
If you have to have a reasoned explanation, if today you succeed or I permit you, should I say, to make a complimentary remark about Mr. Peter Sutherland, perhaps there would be an announcement here some other day or year and some Deputy would want to get up and make derogatory remarks on the question.
If you will not have a little courtesy, I regret the matter.
You cannot, I am sorry. I do, too.
I also wish to ask if this John Rogers, SC, was conferred——
You cannot ask a question.
We all know a Mr. John Rogers, Junior Counsel.
He is full-time in the job, not part-time like some of yours.
As far as we know, there is no——
The Deputy is being disorderly.
Was the John Rogers who is now nominated Attorney General called to the Senior Bar this morning? That is all I wanted to ask. Was he or was he not?
The Deputy is being disorderly.
I just wanted to ask that question.
That is not in order. I am not allowing it. It is as simple as that.
We all know a Mr. John Rogers, Junior Counsel, but who is John Rogers, Senior Counsel?
I am not allowing any question of any description.
(Interruptions).
I am calling Item No. 6.
On a point of order, will the Taoiseach supply us with an explanatory memorandum?
I am calling Item No. 6 — Adjournment debate, An Tánaiste.
The constitutional officers should be the Taoiseach's nomination, not the Tánaiste's.
(Interruptions).