asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development (a) whether his attention has been drawn to reports that emigration is at a substantially higher level than a year ago; (b) whether these reports are a matter of concern to him; and (c) whether he has devised any system of monitoring the scale and the pattern, in particular the age groups and the parts of the country involved, of this renewed emigration trend.

Figures for net passenger movement by sea and air are used to derive an indicator of the overall trend in net migration. The latest figures suggest that net emigration may have increased in 1977 compared with 1976.

It is hoped that the results of the 1977 EEC Labour Force Survey may help to identify the extent to which the increase in the net outward passenger movement represents an actual increase in net emigration. Data for a more satisfactory assessment of the overall emigration position can only be obtained from the Census of Population which is scheduled to take place next year.

May I ask you a question, Sir? You are in this House very much longer, I think, than any other Deputy here. Would you agree that in all your years' experience you have never yet seen a Minister behave as discourteously towards Opposition Deputies as this Minister has in the last half hour?

I totally refute that. We have spent 45 minutes answering 15 questions and most of that time has been taken up with the antics on the far side of the House. If the Deputies ask questions they will be answered.

I will adjourn the House if there is not proper order restored at Question Time.

The Chair does not distinguish between one Minister and another. It was suggested some time ago that some special allowance should be made in respect of this Minister in extending the number of supplementary questions. All Ministers are the same to the Chair and the Chair has no authority to decide what type of answers they give.

I completely accept that. However, I think, from the Minister's point of view, all Deputies are the same. We were all elected here by the people. Even though those on the far side of the House have sufficient to form the Government we also have rights and we deserve courtesy in the House. It is, to put it at its very mildest, discourteous for a Minister to come in here when a backbench Deputy or a spokesman is asking a question and to cut across him before the question is finished.

I object. The Ceann Comhairle had called the next question and I was obeying the Chair.

The Minister interrupted Deputy Kelly a minute ago in the middle of a supplementary.

I will never be accused of disobeying the Chair.

I have not said another word this afternoon. I asked one supplementary on the question which was answered in a monosyllable. The Minister in his reply asked me a question and I was cut down in the middle of a most important issue. I feel in all fairness that is not courteous treatment. I certainly did not treat the Minister with discourtesy.

The Deputy will also appreciate that when a question is answered in the affirmative there is not much need for supplementaries. The Chair is the judge in all cases of what supplementaries, if any, should be answered.

The Ceann Comhairle suits the Government.

That affirmative was the tip of an iceberg in glibness.

I would like to see more questions answered.

If the questions are irritating the Minister he should not take it out on us.

The questions are not irritating me.

Deputy Kelly may ask a supplementary on Question No. 16.

In relation to the latter part of the Minister's answer, when he said that we would require the forthcoming census to give us any reliable picture of the emigration trend, may I ask him what feature of the census due in 1979 will reflect emigration?

There is a later question. If I get to that I will give a full answer.

The Minister is interrupting again.

That Deputy has a question down which I will answer.

On a point of order, is it proper for a Minister to refer to a Deputy as that Deputy and to point his finger across the House?

My apologies to Deputy Kelly.

Would you consider, Sir, asking the academics on both sides of the House to perhaps treat the House with a little less heat and more illumination in some of the replies.

I thank Deputy Quinn for referring to me as an academic.

Question No. 17 postponed.