asked the Minister for External Affairs why he has not been in attendance at the current session of the United Nations General Assembly; if he proposes to attend it; and, if so, when.

The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is that I decided that it was not necessary for me to attend the opening part of the General Assembly this year and to the second that I propose to attend meetings of the Special Political Committee within the next few weeks.

Is the Minister aware that people think it peculiar that he has not observed his practice of many years standing of absenting himself from this country for up to three months at the United Nations and would the Minister not agree that there are two major reasons for his absence from the United Nations this year, the first being that in the present state of disintegration of the Government he felt it would be unwise——

That does not arise.

——and that the second reason for the Minister's absence is that he was hoping that his senior presence at home might help to avoid a row in the Cabinet?

The Deputy may not proceed on those lines.

Would the Minister not agree that he would be as usefully employed in New York as at home?

I take it the Minister agrees with both reasons? The Minister agrees with me. I want that on the record.