d'Aire na Seirbhíse Poiblí cé hiad na státseirbhísigh agus na hoifigigh Stáit lena n-íoctar liúntas speisialta toisc iad a bheith ag obair sa Ghaeltacht nó sa Bhreac-Ghaeltacht.

: Os rud é go bhfuil an freagra i bhfoirm ráitis táblaigh, tá sé ar intinn agam, le do chaoinchead, a Cheann Comhairle, é a chur timpeall leis an Tuairisc Oifigiúil. Is é seo a leanas an t-eolas a iarradh:

Nóta: Íoctar na liúntais thuasluaite leis na fos-taithe Stáit thuas a oibríonn sa Ghaeltacht, má úsáideann siad an Ghaeilge ag comhlíonadh a ndualgas.

: We have a precedent that when there is a tabular statement there should not be supplementary questions.

: An bhfuil an tAire sásta go bhfuil seirbhís Ghaeilge mar ba chóir á tabhairt don ghnáth phobal atá sásta a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh as Gaeilge ag na státseirbhísigh atá sa freagra? An bhfuil aon thianaise ag an Aire nach bhfuil freagraí á dtabhairt as Gaeilge nuair a scríobhann daoine isteach as Gaeilge?

: Tá an Teachta ag caint faoi státseirbhísigh. Ní fhaigheann státseirbhísigh aon airgead breise. Mar sin ní éiríonn an cheist. Faigheann daoine eile airgead breise ach ní fhaigheann státseirbhísigh airgead breise.

: An bhfuil sé sin ráite ag an Aire sa freagra atá sé chun cur thart — na státseirbhísigh agus na daoine nach bhfuil ina státseirbhísigh agus na contaethe éagsúla ina bhfuil siad suite?

: Tá an t-eolas sa tábla agus tá na daoine atá ag fáil airgid agus nach bhfuil ag fáil airgid luaite agus tá leibhéal na híocaíochta luaite chomh maith.

: An í tuairim an Aire gur státseirbhíseach múinteoir nó garda?

: Go foirmeálta ní státseirbhísigh iad gardaí nó múinteoirí.

(Cur isteach.)

: Cé hiad na státseirbhísigh agus na hoifigigh Stáit.

: Tá dhá chuid sa cheist agus tá dhá chuid sa freagra. Tá an cheist freagraithe san iomlán.

: Níl an cheist freagraithe in a iomlán. Is é atá ag teastáil uaimse ná a fháil amach an bhfuil daoine sásta go ndéantar an gnó as Gaeilge nuair a scríobhann siad isteach ag lorg eolais ó na hoifigigh sin.

: Níl a fhios agam. Tá cuid acu sásta agus cuid acu nach bhfuil sásta.

: An bhfuil a fhios ag an Aire nach bhfuil an tseirbhís sin á tabhairt don ghnáth phobal atá ag iarraidh a gcuid gnó ar fad a dhéanamh as Gaeilge agus go bhfuil daoine ann nach bhfuil sásta freagra a thabhairt orthu?

: Nil a fhios agamsa. Tá mé cinnte go bhfuil a lán daoine a fhaigheann an tseírbhís seo ach tá corr-dhuine nach bhfaigheann an méid atá uaidh ó státseirbhísigh agus ó dhaoine eile toisc nach bhfuil siad sásta nó ábalta, b'fhéidir, a gcuid oibre a dhéanamh as Gaeilge.

: An bhfuil a fhios ag an Aire go bhfuil eagrais lán-Ghaelacha a bhfuil daoine ag scríobh chucu ag rá gur mian leo a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh leis na heagrais éagsúla agus le heagrais Státurraithe freisin agus nach bhfuil na daoine sin, agus iad ag fáil liúntas de bharr na seirbhíse sin a thabhairt, ag freagairt as Gaeilge. An rud bunúsach a theastaíonn uaimse a fháil amach ná an bhfuil sé sin fíor.

: Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil eagrais ag casaoid agus ag gearán faoi gan an tseirbhís seo a bheith ar fáil ag an bpobal, daoine go bhfuil sé ag teastáil uathu, ach bhí sé sin i gcónaí ann agus bhí sé ann le linn Aire na Gaeltachta a bhí ann romhamsa agus ní mórán a rinne sé faoi.

: Nach gceapann an tAire gur cóir an tseirbhís seo a thabhairt as Gaeilge do dhaoine go bhfuil sé ag teastáil uathu.

: It is regrettable that Deputies, and Minister, will not accept the ruling of the Chair on this matter of supplementary questions to a question that is being answered by way of a tabular statement. There is a precedent for that and my predecessors have adopted the same attitude. In the Chair's considered opinion it does not make sense to have supplementary questions on a tabular statement when the content of the tabular statement is not known. That goes for Deputies and Ministers.

: On a point of order, as far as this matter is concerned would the Chair agree that it would be quite unsatisfactory at times not to be in a position to raise a question by way of supplementary when one is not familiar with the content of the reply.

: That is the point I am making.

: In equity is it not the responsibility of the Chair to have that matter clarified before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges so that Members get the opportunity to put such questions?

: It is not my duty. It is just as much the duty of the Deputy, or the Chief Whip of his party, to bring matters like that before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I propose to operate Standing Orders and precedents as they are until they are changed and I do not think any Member can seriously quarrel with the ruling I am giving on this.

: What is the position if there is no Standing Order governing this?

: There is a precedent but before I saw it my common sense told me that supplementaries on such replies were absurd.

: Would the Chair be favourably disposed to a change as far as this matter is concerned?

: On a point of information——

: There is no such point.

: On a point of order, will the Chair clarify for the House when a precedent becomes a precedent? There is some confusion in regard to this. The Chair has stated that there is a precedent when there is a statistical reply.

: It becomes a precedent when it gets into the Book of Precedents and the ruling I have referred to is in that book.

: When does a ruling qualify to be included in the Book of Precedents or is it only a rule of the House when the book is published?

: The Deputy may have that matter raised at a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

: I am asking the Chair to come to our assistance on this matter.

: I am not going to debate these matters across the floor of the House.

: On the point of order——

: It is not a point of order. The Deputy is being obstructive. We have dealt with only 12 questions today because of this sort of thing.

: This is quite confusing. You are seeking our co-operation in this matter and we would like to know the exact rule.

: My ruling is that supplementary questions are not in order on a question which is being answered by way of tabular statement.

: Is it not true that in recent times there have been numerous precedents where questions have been allowed? Are they not precedents too?

: There is a Book of Precedents which somebody went to the trouble of compiling and it contains the precedent about which I am talking. The question will be answered one way or the other. Question No. 13.

: On a point of order——

: It is not a point of order. I have called the next question.

: You refer to a Book of Precedents. I have never been aware of the existence of such a book. Would you be so kind as to make it available to Members so that we would know what the precedents are?

: I understand that my predecessor circulated the Book of Precedents to every Member of the House. Deputy Niall Andrews was in the House at the time. I presume he got it but I do not know whether or not he read it.