asked the Minister for Local Government why a person (name supplied) who is on pension as a retired officer of Donegal County Council was deprived, in the reckoning for pension qualification, of four-and-a-half years which he served with the Irish Army during the emergency.

The person referred to was a temporary officer of Donegal County Council before and after the period of the emergency when he served with the Defence Forces. There is no provision in the superannuation legislation whereby such emergency Defence Force service can be reckoned for superannuation purposes. However, in line with decisions taken in other sectors of the public service, Donegal County Council have been authorised to reckon two years' Army service in the case of the person referred to. I understand that the pension is being increased accordingly.

I might add that the man retired in 1967.

Would the Minister not consider this an unfair case?

Yes, I consider it very unfair, particularly in view of the fact that in 1967, when he retired, the then Government refused to do anything about it and eight years later an ex-Minister of that Government now asks me why I am not doing something more about it than I did. I gave him two extra years.

I thought the Minister was doing things that we were not doing.

I have spent two years doing them.

I should like to refer to the disallowance of a question by the Ceann Comhairle.

The Deputy may not raise that at this stage.

I should like to register a protest at the disallowance of the question on a matter that has caused serious difficulties for the travelling public.

I advise the Deputy to get in touch with the Ceann Comhairle's Office on this matter. It is not in order for him to raise it at this stage.

Could I get some guidance as to why the question was disallowed?

The Ceann Comhairle is the sole judge in regard to this matter and the Chair suggests that the Deputy gets in touch with the Ceann Comhairle's Office.

Will the Leas-Cheann Comhairle not convey to the Ceann Comhairle that Deputy Timmons raised this matter?

It is not in order to question a ruling by the Ceann Comhairle. The Chair has suggested that the Deputy gets in touch with the Ceann Comhairle's Office.

A few lines of cheap publicity.