asked the Minister for Social Welfare if there is anything in the Public Assistance Act, 1939 to prevent a public assistance authority from arranging to grant amounts of home assistance to persons in need, having regard to the circumstances of each case, so that such assistance when taken in conjunction with each applicant's other income would provide a minimum subsistence standard at least equal to that provided by noncontributory old-age pensions.

The provision of the Public Assistance Act, 1939, which deals with the amount of home assistance is section 19, which states that it is the duty of public assistance authorities to give to every person in their area, who is eligible, such public assistance as shall appear to them to be necessary or proper in each particular case. There is no provision in the Act of the kind mentioned by the Deputy.

22.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that, in relation to eligibility for home assistance in cases where applicants are affected by a trade dispute, the legal adviser to a public assistance authority advised that as strikers had on their own initiative withdrawn their labour from employment, which was otherwise open to them, a question arose as to whether they were eligible for home assistance; and if in view of a reply of 4th November he will take steps to clarify the matter for all public assistance authorities.

The position is as stated in my reply of 4th November.

I am sure the Minister is aware that the recent strike has been used by his Department—something rather unusual for his Department——

Question No. 23.

I should like with your permission to ask a supplementary question on No. 22.

I do not see why the questions are being rushed. This is the only chance Deputies have to ask questions.

I will not allow that statement from the Deputy. The questions are not being rushed.

The Ministers are rushing the questions.

The Deputy has said that the questions are being rushed. The Chair has to call a question before the Minister answers it. That applies to the Chair, clearly.

I want to make it clear that I was making no comment on the Chair—very far from it. I was commenting on the fact that the Ministers are racing through the questions and do not want to answer supplementaries but this House is going to see that they will allow supplementary questions.

I have allowed supplementary questions.

This is quite a different question.

I asked you to allow me to ask a supplementary question and the Minister refused to answer.

I have allowed four or five supplementary questions.

I was half way through a supplementary question on Question No. 22 but you called Question No. 23. I think that is not the correct procedure in this House, with all due respect to you.

The Deputy had been allowed several supplementary questions.

Not on this.

On exactly the same type of question.

No, Sir. I asked no supplementary question whatever on the previous question.

If the Deputy wishes, there is a method by which to decide the way in which I administer the questions. The Deputy has his remedy.

The Ceann Comhairle is taking unfair advantage of me by accusing me of trying to direct the Chair. I did not. I did not ask any supplementary question on the previous question. I attempted to ask a supplementary question on Question No. 22 but when I was half way through it you called the next question.

We will get a new referee for Deputy Tully.

A referee would do Deputy Smith no good in his present circumstances.

Question No. 23.

The Chair called Question No. 22 and the Minister replied. Deputy Tully stood to ask a supplementary and has been prevented from doing so. Is that fair? I think the Minister could confirm me in that.

I have called Question No. 23.

Is Deputy Tully not entitled to ask one supplementary question on a question that has been answered by the Minister?

I did not stop Deputy Tully from asking any supplementary question.

Can he ask a supplementary question on Question No. 22?

No.

Why not?

Because I have called the next question.

Is it not ordinary practice that any Deputy can ask at least one supplementary question?

There have been several supplementaries.

I was on my feet when you called Question No. 23—a most unusual thing.

The Minister is pleading the Gaming Act.

It is an outrage.

I did not plead anything.

It is not the Minister's fault. The Ceann Comhairle did not allow Deputy Tully to ask one supplementary question.

He has been asking them all down through Question Time. He wants to ask thousands of questions.