I beg your indulgence for a moment or two to bring a matter to the attention of the Chair and the House because the Chair frequently says — sometimes quite rightly — that Deputies should raise questions about some of the issues brought up here. I should like to relate a little experience to you, Sir, if I may and I will be very orderly about it. I put down a question to the Taoiseach asking whether the acquisition of an executive jet and the purchase of a search and rescue helicopter were seen as competing options. On 7 June I was informed that the question had been transferred by the Taoiseach to the Minister for Defence. On 11 June I was informed that the same question had been transferred by the Minister for Defence to the Minister for Tourism and Transport. It is a much travelled question, it gets around a lot in the executive jet and helicopter. To clarify the situation I put down a question to the Taoiseach, to ask him — for the period since 24 October last — the number of questions submitted for answer by him, the number of such questions ruled out of order, the number of such questions transferred to other Ministers and the reasons because we would like elucidation on this side of the House about what we may question and how we go about it. You can imagine my astonishment to find in my post this morning a letter from the Ceann Comhairle ruling my question out of order on the grounds that the Taoiseach has not official responsibility to the Dáil in relation to these matters. That brings me back to an argument I had some time ago with the Ceann Comhairle. I find in the Official Report of 8 May 1990, at column 838 — in relation to the transfer of questions — the following statement by the Ceann Comhairle:
The Chair has no function in the matter appertaining to the transfer of questions. That has been, and always has been, a matter for the Taoiseach and his Cabinet of the day.
What I am saying to you, Sir, is that whether the Chair realises it or not, whether the Chair understands its importance or not, the Taoiseach's Government are transferring questions to other Ministers, seeking to avoid answering questions on the spurious grounds that they have no responsibility therefor. I am relying on you, Sir, to be a faithful messenger for me to the Ceann Comhairle; to tell the Ceann Comhairle that that kind of conduct on the part of the Government should not be tolerated by this House, by its officers or Chairman.