It is proposed to take No. 10, Vote 37. By agreement, the debate on Vote 37 will be brought to a conclusion not later than 4 p.m. today and the Minister for the Gaeltacht shall be called on to conclude not later than 3.30 p.m. Also, by agreement, if a division is challenged on the Estimate today, the taking of such division shall be postponed until 8.30 p.m. on next Wednesday.
Order of Business.
Are the arrangements for today's Business and for the vote, if it should be called, agreed?
On the Order of Business, would the Minister tell the House, in view of the alarming situation that has developed in relation to the present position of B & I and its future, when it is proposed to give Government time for a full debate on this company which is created and funded by legislation of this House, rather than have these matters appearing in a very haphazard way in the public press, indicating that decisions were taken outside this House and contrary to the wishes of the board——
I have allowed the Deputy a question, but I cannot allow a speech.
——and the executives and the trade unions involved and without any indication——
Deputy Lenihan, I cannot allow you to go on. I have given you a certain mileage. I now must rule the question out of order.
——to them and to this House as to what steps are being taken?
I am ruling you out of order, Deputy. It does not arise here.
We had a very full debate on RTE radio this morning and we do not have a full debate in this House. That is the sort of thing which is making this House more and more irrelevant.
The Deputy is very well aware that today's sitting is a very special sitting, ordered by the House to deal with one particular item. The matter which the Deputy is raising now does not arise in this way at this time.
I would make a certain request here at this stage to the Minister and the Government that the Whips might get together during the day, with a view to time being allotted at some stage during the day for a statement on the matter, explaining the position and the proposals.
Time cannot be allotted today, as today is a special sitting.
Let me make it quite clear that the Minister did nothing that was outside the powers vested in him by this House.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
To suggest that this House is being ignored in any way is to totally misrepresent the position, and the Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil should not so misrepresent the position.
I am asking the Minister to give us the facts.
I am not finished yet. Would the Deputy please resume his seat?
It is rather significant that the Minister is absent today.
There is no significance at all in that.
This Government are being run by public relations men.
This House is run by the Ceann Comhairle.
This Government are being run outside this House.
Deputy Lenihan got a fair crack of the whip and I did not interrupt him. I would ask the same courtesy from him.
Certainly.
Let me say again that the Minister did nothing that was outside the powers vested in him by this House.
We do not yet know what he did.
Who are Zeus Investment? Are they pals from Donnybrook 4?
I am calling item No. 10.
I can certainly agree that——
Will they be paid £100,000 a year?
——this is a most disorderly performance by a Member who pretends to be concerned about the standards in this House.
I am calling item No. 10.
Can the Minister tell us about this debate?
I have no objection to the Whips getting together during the day to see whether a debate can be arranged for next week. Let me say that the implication in some reports this morning that this company is being privatised is incorrect. Nothing is being sold.
I am calling item No. 10, Estimates for Public Services, 1985.
When can we expect a statement in this House on what is going on? Frank Boland does not like it.