asked the Minister for Local Government if members of Dublin City Council who were serving immediately before the dissolution of the council may vote in Seanad elections.

Subsection (1) of section 44 of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947 provides that the electorate at a general election of panel members of the Seanad shall include the members of every council of a county or county borough. Subsection (2) of that section provides that a reference to members of such councils in subsection (1) shall, where the members of the council stand removed from office under Part IV of the Local Government Act, 1941, be construed as a reference to the surviving persons who were members of the council immediately before the removal and have not, since the removal, suffered any such adjudication in bankruptcy or conviction of a crime or offence as would, in the case of a member of the council, have terminated his membership.

You will be happy now.

Are we to take it from that rigmarole that the members of Dublin Corporation retain the very high honour of being able to vote for members of Seanad Éireann?

The former members, the persons who——

Is that not a great consolation to the citizens? Although the corporation is abolished, Deputy Briscoe's question has revealed that we still have votes in respect of Seanad Éireann. There will be bonfires in the streets on account of that.

Deputies have these votes, anyway, but the former members of the city council retain that privilege despite the action taken by Deputy Dunne and his colleagues.

Next question, please.

Despite the action taken by the Minister.

(Cavan): Arising out of the Minister's reply to the effect that these councillors will have votes in respect of Seanad Éireann, would the Minister now consider withdrawing some of the insulting remarks he made about these former members of Dublin Corporation in which he practically regarded them as criminals?

That is the way he talks.

Order. That is a separate question.

That is the Deputy's interpretation. It is a fact that these council members of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties who undertook to serve the citizens of Dublin did attempt to deprive them of essential services—and failed in the attempt.

Order.

You seem to be taking a lot of notice today.

We are nailing your lies. That is all.