It is proposed to take item No. 10, Vote 38, Agriculture, Revised and Supplementary Estimates. By agreement these items shall be taken together for the purposes of debate. Also by agreement the Minister for Agriculture shall be called on not later than 3.30 p.m. to conclude the debate and the proceedings thereon shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 4 p.m., provided that if a division is challenged on any Estimate today the taking of such division shall be postponed until 8.30 p.m. next Wednesday, 15 May.
Order of Business.
Let me ask the acting Taoiseach if his attention has been drawn to an extraordinary statement made in the US to the effect that the problem of Northern Ireland is not one concerning Britain and Ireland——
We have had this before and I have explained that it is not in order on the Order of Business in this way.
Perhaps I should conclude my sentence first.
I have got the gist of it.
If when I finish my sentence you rule me out I will gladly accept your ruling.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
Notwithstanding "hear, hear" let me explain a little — it will take only a second — what this sort of thing gives rise to. I allowed Deputy Haughey to do that one morning last week, then some time afterwards a Minister stood up and he was replying to some remarks made by the Taoiseach——
No, I am not the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach is in America.
The former Taoiseach — I had to allow the Minister to go on for a reasonable length of time until I knew what he was talking about and then I was attacked by Deputy Haughey for allowing a Minister speak. It is clear that what Deputy Haughey is now raising is out of order and I appeal to him not to embarrass the Chair and to accept my ruling.
As always I am prepared to accept your ruling, but I submit to you that it would be just simple courtesy if you would let me conclude my statement. If then you rule it out of order I will gladly accept your ruling.
At that stage——
It is not in order, Sir, for your good self to conduct the affairs of this House by not permitting people to conclude a sentence. The sentence itself may be out of order but at least it should be heard in its entirety.
Some of these sentences are very long.
I promise you faithfully, cross my heart and hope to die, if you permit me to finish my sentence I will willingly abide by your ruling. Let me then ask if this statement by the Taoiseach, which is totally in contradiction of the conclusions of the New Ireland Forum report, represents Government policy.
End of sentence?
End of sentence.
End of story. It is not in order.
Could I raise on the Adjournment——
We have no Adjournment debate today.
It is a matter of House security.
We have no provision for any Adjournment debate.
I confess that I suspected——
You could not avoid knowing it.
Let me ask the Minister if his attention has been drawn to the statement by the Garda Representative Body that the gardaí in Dublin are to quit the streets after 8 p.m. because the Minister for Justice has not adhered to certain undertakings.
That is not in order.
It is a very serious matter. Has the Minister's attention been drawn to that?
That does not arise in this case.
Is there any chance of getting the Taoiseach home before he does any more damage?
Or of putting him on a lead?
You do not have to go away to do damage.