Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 6

Freedom of Information Act 1997 (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations 2003: Referral to Joint Committee.

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Ms Hanafin)

I move:

That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following regulations in draft:

Freedom of Information Act 1997 (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations 2003,

copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 14 October 2003, be referred to the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, in accordance with paragraph (2) of the orders of reference of that committee, which, not later than 11 November 2003, shall send a message to the Dáil in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 85 and Standing Order 84(2) shall accordingly apply."

Mr. R. Bruton

I wish to make a point.

An Ceann Comhairle

There is no debate on this motion. I shall put the question.

Mr. R. Bruton

That is exactly the point.

An Ceann Comhairle

The House has agreed that there will be no debate.

Mr. R. Bruton

That validates exactly the point I made. I wanted to make a case to persuade some of my colleagues that we should oppose the motion but the Ceann Comhairle is preventing me from expressing a point of view.

An Ceann Comhairle

I am putting the question.

Mr. R. Bruton

The Government has a great deal of responsibility for putting the Ceann Comhairle in—

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is being disorderly. I ask him to resume his seat. The Chair is on his feet. The House has agreed to take the motion without debate. The Deputy is now defying an order of the Dáil.

Mr. R. Bruton

I made the point that this was unfair and illegitimate. Ramming this through does not make it acceptable.

An Ceann Comhairle

I ask the Deputy to resume his seat. Does he wish to leave the House?

Mr. R. Bruton

I do not. I would like to be heard but the Ceann Comhairle does not seem inclined to let me speak.

Question put and declared carried.