asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry whether contacts have taken place between his Department and any authority or person in Norway in connection with proposals that Irish waters might become available to Norwegian fishing vessels in the context of an oil deal; in particular whether he or his Department wrote letters to any such authority or person in Norway bearing on this subject; if so, if he will give full details of all such contacts and/or letters, including the name of the person or persons who signed such letters, or on whose behalf they were signed.

No contacts or correspondence have taken place between me or my Department and any authority or person in Norway in connection with proposals that Irish waters might become available to Norwegian fishing vessels in the context of an oil deal.

Does the Minister realise that his colleague, the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy said in this House before the summer recess that contacts with the Norwegian authorities, or with Norwegian bodies, in regard to this matter had taken place both from his own Department and from the Department of Fisheries?

I can assure the House that, as far as I am concerned, no negotiations—in terms of meaningful negotiations—have taken place.

That is not what the question asked.

Now we are getting it.

Did any approaches of any kind take place from his Department in this regard?

No. I have said no before, by the way.

The Minister said no meaningful ones. Were explanatory contacts initiated or received by the Minister's Department in this context?

No, yes. I only make meaningful exploratory submissions. I do not believe in anything other than meaningful.

I do not want to join the long queue of people calling for this Minister's resignation; it happens every other day. Therefore can the House take it that the Minister's colleague, Deputy O'Malley, is definitely wrong and mistaken in saying that his Department were involved in Norwegian contacts involving a possible trade of oil for access to Irish fishing?

The Deputy condemns himself out of his own mouth when he talks about possibilities. I only deal with realities.

That is the joke of the century.

As far as I am concerned, no discussions——

Dr. FitzGerald rose.

Wait now, the Deputy might sit down. As far as I am concerned no discussions have taken place whatever, either verbally or in writing, between me or my Department and the equivalent Department in Norway in regard to any fisheries arrangements.

Or with any unofficial body in Norway, not a Department?

No.

Do I take that as being——

As far as I am concerned yes, no.

Does the Minister realise——

That is a classic reply.

Order, please.

The Government's bluff-master general is excelling himself.

Question No. 3. I would appeal to the Deputy——

This is the sixth time I have tried to extract the truth about this fish deal.

The Deputy is now entering into argument. The Chair will not permit that.

I want to give an answer. I agree with the Deputy, the answer is "no" and, to that extent the "yes" is "no". I agree with the Deputy, "yes", and the answer is "no".

May I summarise this exchange by saying that the House may take it that the Minister's colleague, Deputy O'Malley, in bringing the name of the Department of Fisheries into his reply was absolutely mistaken?

I am not here in any position to answer for what has been said, or alleged to have been said by anyone else. I am only replying to the question on this particular issue.

Yes, but when the Minister was replying to it as far as I understand it he said "no", or at least a "no" as precisely as we will ever get from this Minister. May we then take it that, in having said "yes", Deputy O'Malley is wrong?

I said "no" three months ago to Deputy Kelly.

Yes, but Deputy O'Malley's answer was "yes". Is he wrong?

I am saying "no" again.

Could we have a public debate on RTE between the two Ministers to extract the truth?

Question No. 3.

Deputy FitzGerald is continuously engaging in the area of comic opera.

Order, please. Question No. 3.

We are trying to be serious in this House, I hope.

It is a serious matter in this House when two Ministers give totally divergent accounts of an important matter of public affairs. We are entitled to seek the truth, which we have not got. One or other Minister is misleading the House.

For schoolboy tantrums——

Will the Minister undertake that between himself and the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy a full account will be laid before this House of any contacts that have taken place at sub-official level between either of these two Departments and anyone in Norway with regard to this purported deal? Will he undertake to give to the House, in any shape or form he chooses, full information about these deals?

No such deal was engaged in by my Department.

Did the Minister not tell Olivia O'Leary that the cat was out of the bag?

If we are going to conduct Question Time in disorder I will adjourn the House, and that is not an idle threat. The Chair is becoming tired of Question Time being made what it is turning out to be.