A Cheann Comhairle, I do not wish to enter into argument with you. I raised this issue a fortnight ago on the agricultural officers' dispute. The position appears to be that when there is a major industrial dispute — I shall not go into the details of the one I sought to raise — and when a Deputy raises it once, it appears as if its urgency is in your mind then lost. I would contend that two of the questions down in the names of Deputy De Rossa and me to two different Ministers were putting forward the reason that this is now a matter of urgency today, different from what it was yesterday or last week. That contention is based on four issues: one, that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have called for an all-out picket which is at present under discussion; second, there is a danger of the dispute spreading to the county if there is not a resolution found by tomorrow; third, that the Army are now involved; and, fourth, there is a danger that the peace that had obtained on the picket lines at the various tipheads will disappear, the workers will feel that the Army are now involved and will block the public coming to these tipheads. It is on those four grounds I would contend it is now an urgent matter, more urgent than it was yesterday.

I have no reason to argue with you, a Cheann Comhairle, but it seems to be a fair argument on the part of Deputies on all sides of the House who wish to see a resolution of this very serious dispute, unless you can prove to me that it is not urgent. I know how the system works. I know the difficulty you are in, a Cheann Comhairle. I would have thought that if the Minister who gave me an undertaking in the course of the Labour Estimate last week was interested in solving this dispute he would be glad to come into this House and endeavour to get both sides back to the Labour Court. That is all we are seeking — not to argue with the Chair, not to have any difficulty with anybody else, but to get the Minister for Labour to bring both sides in this very serious dispute back into the Labour Court, avoiding all of this unnecessary argument.

I decided that I would allow Deputy Bertie Ahern to make his case because he is a former Chief Whip of the largest party in the Dáil and is a highly respected Member of the House. But to anybody listening it is quite clear that my earlier statement was meant to cover the situation in general in regard to Private Members' questions and the rulings of the Chair in particular. Somebody has to be charged with making the rulings. I have made the rulings. I have made them in good faith. That is all I can say: I made them in good faith and without any bias one way or the other. I am not going to discuss these rulings in the House. That is in accordance with a rule of the House that is older than the carpet on the floor. I am not going to go back on that. The reason for it should be obvious. I am sorry I cannot help further. That is the position. I take the view, rightly or wrongly, that it is bad enough for the Chair to have to wrangle with one Deputy, but when that Deputy either becomes exhausted or decides to sit down and another Deputy then gets up on the very same line, that is grossly disorderly. I have dealt with all the questions that were put today and I am not dealing with any more.