Supplementary questions and the Chair’s discretion
Lyons challenged the Chair’s handling of supplementary questions, and the Chair said Standing Orders give the Chair discretion over their relevance and number. O’Keeffe objected that he had been denied an answer; the Chair asked him to resume his seat.
When you stood up to lecture us about the running of Question Time, a Cheann Comhairle, you indicated that you would have to keep to the Standing Orders. I tried to ask supplementary questions and they were disallowed.
Comment on this
Standing Orders give complete discretion to the Chair as to the relevance and number of supplementaries. If some Deputies exhaust what I think is reasonable time I will not allow some other Deputy to come in.
Comment on this
The Minister was rising to answer my supplementary and you immediately called the next question. I am entitled to an answer. I seldom put a question on the Order Paper in recent times. This is a cause of concern.