Before proceeding to deal with the Order of Business I am obliged to deal with a notice of motion under Standing Order 30 from Deputy John Bruton. I call on the Deputy to state the matter of which he has given me notice.
Request to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 30.
I wish to raise under Standing Order 30 the urgent and important matter of the Taoiseach's unprecedented lack of authority and credibility as Taoiseach which is preventing the Dáil and Government from operating as they should. In particular, the Dáil should be concerned that the Minister for Finance has said on RTE radio that the Taoiseach does not have the confidence of his own parliamentary party; several other Ministers have expressed the view that the Taoiseach will not be in office for long and the Taoiseach himself has refused to put this matter to the test within his own parliamentary party.
My submission is that, with the difficult budgetary and Estimates decisions facing us, with the pending Summit in Maastricht and the refusal of the Government to take any action on jobs — other than to vote down a proposal for an all-party jobs forum — I suggest, Sir, that the House should take steps itself to restore credible executive authority in the State.
Having considered the matter fully I do not consider it to be one contemplated under Standing Order 30. Therefore, I cannot grant leave to move the motion.