: Does the Taoiseach intend in the near or foreseeable future to visit the United States of America in order to avail of the opportunity to make his views, as expressed in Cork, on the activities of the Irish National Caucus Committee and Noraid known?

: I have no such plans at present but the Deputy is probably aware that the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he was in the United States expounded our policy very clearly. Indeed, he secured widespread acceptance of our policy in this area.

: I am calling Question No. 4. I have permitted a reasonable number of supplementaries on this question.

: Surely I am to be allowed more than one supplementary regarding our relationship with the United States and the attitude the Irish-American population see?

: I have permitted the Deputy to ask a number of supplementaries and I would be glad if he would accept my ruling.

: May I ask one final supplementary?

: If I permit final final supplementaries I do not know where I will end. The Deputy should accept my ruling.

: I appreciate that but on the other hand if the Chair starts by being too restrictive it could lead to something else.

: Is that a threat?

: No, it is a statement. May I ask another supplementary?

: I have ruled that we must move to the next question. I regret that the Deputy may not agree with my ruling but I ask him to accept it.

: In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the Taoiseach's reply I seek permission to raise the subject matter of this question on the Adjournment.

: I understood the Ceann Comhairle to rule out further supplementaries from Deputy Cluskey but I have not understood the Chair to say he was moving to the next question.

: In fact, I called the next question.