asked the Minister for Labour if his attention has been drawn to a recent article in the Financial Times on strikes in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I have seen the article referred to in the Financial Times of 25 April 1978 regarding industrial disputes here.

I believe that it presented a misleading picture of the effects of certain strikes and of their impact on the IDA's industrial development programme. It exaggerated the impact of the disputes and was in a number of respects contradictory and inaccurate. The article put a disproportionate emphasis on industrial relations as a factor in the attraction of overseas investment and ignored all the other factors which continue to make this country an attractive location for overseas investment.

I have already made known to the Press my views on the article in question and I understand that the IDA have written to the newspaper refuting in detail the allegations in it.

Before the Minister commenced replying to that question I understood the Chair to accept a supplementary from Deputy Mitchell because of the fact that two questions were involved. As Deputy Mitchell was about to put a supplementary question to the Minister on the second question the Minister read his reply to Question No. 26.

I had already permitted four supplementaries. The Deputy was on his feet asking questions repeatedly and he spoke for a lengthy period without putting a question. I cannot condone the device of using a preamble to a question to make a speech. It is something that must be ruled out at Question Time.

I accept that but I understood that the Chair had accepted Deputy Mitchell's point of view, that he was entitled to ask a supplementary based on the second question dealt with in the Minister's reply. It is possible that the Minister did not hear the Chair agreeing with Deputy Mitchell that he was entitled to ask a supplementary.

I misunderstood the Deputy's reference. I will permit the Deputy to ask a supplementary on Question No. 25.