asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the price per therm paid by the Government to buy back from Marathon Oil Limited the natural gas discovered off Kinsale; and the approximate price per therm for which An Bord Gáis will sell the Kinsale gas to the ESB.

I regret that I am not in a position to furnish the information requested by the Deputy. These prices are commercially confidential matters for the buyers and sellers concerned.

Is it not a fact that when in Opposition the Minister protested that this kind of information should not be kept confidential because gas is essentially public property and the facts about it should be disclosed? Secondly, is this not another device whereby An Bord Gáis will be allowed to mark up a large profit on sales to the ESB for which the consumer will have to pay? This is another revenue raising device.

This is argument. We must have questions. We will make no progress with these speeches accompanying questions. The Deputy is not the only offender, but I intend to put a stop to it.

These are two simple questions. Is it not a fact that in Opposition the Minister took up that position? Secondly, this is another revenue on the lines of the proposed health scheme of the Minister for Health. Is that not true?

The answer to the first question is that I am not so aware. In answer to the second question I am sure the Deputy will be delighted to hear An Bord Gais are satisfied that the price being paid to Marathon is very satisfactory in the national interest.

What about the profit?

Question No. 6.

Since it is intended——

Surely it is very ill-mannered of the Minister to talk in that way in circumstances in which one simple supplementary question has been asked.

I called the next question.

I try at all times to be mannerly in this House. Two questions were asked. In answer to one I said I was not aware of what the Minister said in Opposition. Secondly, I tried to be as helpful as possible to the Deputy by informing him of the position of An Bord Gáis in the national interest. The third point raised by the Deputy related to the Minister for Health and, if the Deputy wants to make a comment to the Minister for Health, I suggest he should ask him a question.

I was trying to simplify my supplementary to the Minister and I was asking a further question arising out of his answer. That is perfectly permissible parliamentary behaviour.

The Chair called the next question.

On a point of order, in circumstances where a reply is given on behalf of a Minister saying that the person answering does not know something about the Ministry, is it permissible to put down another question or does the six months rule apply? Do answers given on behalf of Ministers cover the whole field and not exclude any area of the Minister's knowledge or responsibility?

The Chair does not see the relevance of that question.

Is the Leader of the Opposition suggesting I should be familiar with every word uttered by my Minister in Opposition on any matter?

Will a further question be ruled out on the grounds of repetition?

I cannot make a categorical statement on that.

6.

asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if the use of Kinsale gas by the ESB will substantially reduce the price of electricity to the consumer.

Since it is intended that Kinsale Head natural gas will be sold by Bord Gáis Éireann to the ESB at appropriate energy-related prices its use by that body should not have any appreciable effect on electricity prices.