I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Protocol relating to an amendment to the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed at Montreal on 6th October, 1980, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 16th May, 1989.
Amendment to Convention on International Civil Aviation — Protocol: Motion.
Question put and agreed to.
Item No. 4.
On point of order, could you inform this side of the House, Sir, how we can pursue the question as to why on 26 October a Minister told this House that he did not have certain information because, he said, certain negotiations had not concluded? On the following morning an official of the European Commission can go to a private seminar in the University of Limerick and give to that seminar information which surely the Minister must have had if it were to be made public.
You cannot debate this matter now.
Can you tell me how we in this House can find out what is behind that and why the Minister was not in a position to give that information?
Deputy Paul Connaughton sought my permission to raise this matter under Standing Order 30. I considered that request and I declined to accede to the motion. To qualify under this particular motion a matter must be of sudden emergency.
Indeed.
The matter to which the Deputy adverted occurred some three weeks ago and there was ample time to raise questions in this House or motions in order to deal effectively with the matter and there is still time to deal with the matter. I have given my ruling on the matter and that is the position.
(Interruptions.)
How is it that an official of the European Community was in a position to give that information when the Minister was not?
There are ways and means of dealing with this matter.
(Interruptions.)
I am constrained by your ruling and properly so. I want to make the point that there is a perfectly clear, explicit explanation of the situation if it were raised in the proper manner.
What is it, Taoiseach?
(Interruptions.)
I am now calling on the Minister for Communications to move Item No. 4.
On a point of order, you are the independent chairperson of this House.
Do not lecture the Chair, please. You are raising a point of order.
I am stating a fact. Why is it that this side of the House cannot find a procedure whereby the Minister who deliberately misled the House cannot come in——
(Interruptions.)
Excuse me, I am making a point of order. I am on my feet and I wish to make a point of order.
I want to make a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle.
Deputy Barrett, I observe that you are on a point of order. What is the point of order, Deputy?
You are not going to get away with it.
Why is it important that the Taoiseach intervene on a point being made by the Leader of the Opposition, which is a technical point and nothing to do with the performance of the Government? Can you answer that question for me?
There are ample ways and means of dealing with this matter.
I am asking that side of the House——
Does the Taoiseach wish to intervene?
If you wish I can give the explanation but, first of all, I want to rebut the false allegation made by Deputy Sean Barrett that the Minister misled the House. If you wish, a Cheann Comhairle, I will give that information.
That allegation should not have been made.
Deputy Dukes rose.
It is disorderly to make such an allegation and Deputy Dukes knows that.
On a point of order, the Minister said on 26 October that the information was not available and an official of the European Commission gave the information on 27 October.
It is not in order to state that any Minister misled this House.
Did the Minister not know what was going on?
(Interruptions.)
You have very little to do. The position was that the Commission did not take a formal decision on the Community support framework until 31 October and the Minister, therefore, was quite properly restrained from giving any information until the formal decision of the Commission on the Community support framework had been taken.
On a point of order——
I am sorry, Deputy, that is the end of the matter. I will hear no more points of order.
How can I raise it?
Raise it some other way.
(Interruptions.)
What use is putting a question when the Minister for Agriculture misled the House?