I call Deputy Sheehan to move amendment No. 1.
Western Development Commission Bill, 1998: Report and Final Stages.
On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle. I wish to draw attention to the fact that the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, was in the House for the division. He could have been here earlier to provide answers——
That is not a point of order and the Deputy should not continue to be disorderly. I call Deputy Sheehan.
The House should be given convincing answers to these questions.
The Deputy should allow the business of the House to continue. A democratic decision has been taken to proceed with the business of the House.
People will die without life saving operations and as a result of mismanagement.
The Deputy is going against the decision of the House to proceed with business.
Deputy Bruton will not accept the result of the vote.
Will Deputy Sheehan move his amendment? If he does not move the amendment I will have no option but to declare it lost.
Deputy Sheehan is taking instructions from his Leader.
For the last time I am calling Deputy Sheehan to move his amendment. If he does not do so it will fall.
On a point of order——
A point of order cannot be made while the Chair is on his feet.
On a point of order — it is my understanding that we just voted on the Order of Business.
The Deputy is incorrect. The House voted to proceed with the Report Stage of the Western Development Commission Bill. I read that out clearly prior to the vote. The Deputy should have been paying attention to what he was voting on.
I would like to query a matter——
The Deputy may not query any matter; we are now dealing with the Bill. If the Deputy has a point of order, he may make it.
I am curious why the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, regards overseas aid as a matter of conscience——
That is not a point of order. The Deputy should resume his seat.
——yet does not have a sufficient conscience in regard to her own constituency to demand that the £32 million be used to tackle the issue of hospital bed closures.
I have called on Deputy Sheehan to move amendment No. 1. As he has not done so, the amendment falls and, consequently, amendment No. 2 cannot be moved.
Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 not moved.
Bill reported without amendment and received for final consideration.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
In an attempt to bring some order to the proceedings, can I make the point that before the Taoiseach left the House he stated that the £32 million was not available because it was not the end of the year.
That is not a point of order; the Deputy should resume his seat. He should not persist in being disorderly.
The Minister for Health and Children has £32 million at his disposal——
It appears to the Chair that an organised attempt is being made to disrupt this sitting.
(Interruptions.)
Deputies should not refuse to obey the Chair. In view of the disorder, I am suspending the sitting for 30 minutes.
Sitting suspended at 11.55 a.m. and resumed at 12.25 p.m.
Following a vote, the Order of Business must proceed, much to our disappointment. However, we will return to this issue to express our deep disappointment at what the Taoiseach was not able to tell us. We wish to ask through the Chair——
The Deputy is not in order. We are moving onto Fifth Stage——
We tried to ask the Ceann Comhairle but now wish to ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for a debate on the spending of the £32 million. I want to be helpful——
The Deputy is not being helpful. The Chair is on its feet. Is it proposed to take Final Stage now?
(Interruptions.)
On a point of order, I understand the Whips will meet at 12.30 p.m. I wish to give notice that the Labour Party is seeking a comprehensive debate with questions——
That is not a point of order. The Chair is on its feet.
In the interests of harmony——
The Chair is on its feet. We are dealing with the Western Development Commission Bill, 1998.
I ask for one minute to indicate——
Deputy Owen, I do not think the behaviour in the House this morning does it credit.
The behaviour of the Taoiseach does no credit either.
I will be obliged to adjourn the sitting until 2.30 p.m. if the Deputy does not resume her seat.
I do not want that to happen.
It will happen if the Deputy does not resume her seat. I ask the Deputy to resume her seat immediately. The Chair is on its feet.
I wish to raise a point of order.
I will allow the Deputy to raise a point of order if it is such; otherwise I will adjourn the House until 2.30 p.m.
This morning the Ceann Comhairle prevented us, and now you, Sir, are preventing us from saying something about a very serious issue.
I resent that remark and ask Deputy Owen to please withdraw it. The Ceann Comhairle did not prevent you from raising a legitimate issue on the Order of Business.
He did his very, very best to prevent——
He did not and I ask the Deputy to withdraw her remark about the Ceann Comhairle.
In the end he did allow the matter to be discussed. People are going to die.
(Interruptions.)
I am not accepting further points of order.
I tabled two amendments on Report Stage which have not been dealt with. As a Member of this House I am entitled to recognition.
Yes, Deputy Sheehan, and the Ceann Comhairle asked you to move your amendments. The amendments were not moved and they fell. We will not have a debate on the matter.
There was disorder in the House and I did not get an opportunity to move them.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, on a point of order——
There will be no points of order.
This is disgraceful.
Question put and declared carried.
This is not the first time Fianna Fáil has done this to Cork South-West.
We now move on to statements on Nicaragua and Honduras.
They are all responsible. What about the underprivileged in this community?
On a point of order——
There will be no points of order.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, it is a disgrace that the Western Development Commission Bill has been treated in this fashion.
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs will take statements on Honduras.
I do not think it is the fault of the Minister that the Bill has been treated in this way. I strenuously object to this because there are legitimate cases to be put.
The Deputy is totally out of order.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, you came in here to do a sweeping job and you are certainly doing it but you do discredit to the Chair.
I ask the Deputy to withdraw that remark about the Chair.
I withdraw it.
Thank you for withdrawing it. Now resume your seat.
The Minister of State is present and he wants to deal with legislation——
Deputy Burke, resume your seat.
——and you have denied us the opportunity to do something. That is unprecedented in this House. I only wanted to ask the Minister of State a point of information and I think he is willing to take it.
You cannot ask a question. The Bill has been dealt with and we are waiting for the Minister.
That is a disgrace to you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, and I hope it comes back to haunt you.
The Chair is denying me the right to——
Deputy Sheehan, please resume your seat.
It is a disgrace.
Deputy Burke, I ask you to withdraw that remark about the Chair.
This House is entitled to a debate.
Deputy Burke, I ask you to withdraw that remark.
The Chair is not giving him a chance.
Deputy Burke, I am giving you a last chance to withdraw the remark about the Chair.
I have done so on three occasions.
I am referring to the second remark you made about the Chair.
I withdraw all the remarks but it is not fair that people who came in here and waited all morning——
The Deputy has withdrawn the remark.
I will try to be as orderly as possible.
The Chair is stifling debate.
If there is not order in the House, we will adjourn it until 2.30 p.m. I call on the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, to make her statement.
The Chair has denied me the opportunity, as an elected Member of this House——
Deputy Sheehan, please allow the business of the House to continue.
The people of south-west and north-west Cork will not take this lying down. It is a disgrace. What about the west of Ireland?