You mentioned Standing Orders, Sir. Therefore, I presume I am in order in making a point of order, as you have had recourse to Standing Orders——

I was referring to Standing Orders in general.

I would just like to make the point to you that perhaps you would consider that there must be something quite extraordinary about your interpretation of Standing Orders if in the course of two days ten questions put forward by Deputies in all good faith as being of urgent public importance have had to be ruled out. I mentioned this to you before. Perhaps, to make life easier for yourself and for all of us, something might be raised at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges over which you competently and wisely preside.

Again, on a point of order, I might make this point to you, a Cheann Comhairle, that on the question that Deputy Lyons was seeking to raise it seems to us extraordinary that yesterday a question was ruled out of order on the basis that the Taoiseach had no function and exactly the same sort of question today was ruled out of order because it was not urgent. I put it to you, Sir, that it seems there is a very clear contradiction in ruling there. If a certain type of question was ruled out of order yesterday because the Taoiseach had no function, namely the Egan case, it might perhaps have been ruled out of order today on the same basis, that the Taoiseach had no function. It does seem extraordinary that a similar type of question, was ruled out of order today on a different basis, namely, urgency.

I welcome a discussion on matters like this at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I hope I will not be regarded as being smart, or appearing to be smart, when I say that rarely in my term of office over four years did we have them. I welcome any of these matters that are brought up. If there is a consensus on a certain thing we will see where we go from there. Just because I had to rule out of order four questions today and six yesterday does not make the thing right or any different. I think Deputy Haughey will not disagree with me when I say that, when he and I came in here in or about the same time, a Private Notice Question was as rare as is a good day now.

There are more problems now.

It hardly ever happened.

I might point out to you, a Cheann Comhairle, that you are, after all, the guardian and protector of the rights of Deputies. You are the distinguished Chairman of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I have said this to you before. You often say to us "Let some Deputy raise it at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges". Perhaps you yourself would put some proposal before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to alleviate or obviate what you regard as a very distressing and unhappy series of events at this time of the day every day the House is sitting. Perhaps, in your own interest, for your own self-protection, and to avoid the difficulties which this matter causes you, in being fair, in giving rulings and interpretations here, you yourself would put before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges some new formula for deciding these matters.

I would say, Deputy, that it is not customary for the Chairman of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to initiate something, that usually it comes from the Whip of one of the major parties. I will certainly co-operate with the Deputy. I will agree that I do regard it, perhaps not stressful, because when one takes on a job one has to do it, but as a distasteful part of my job to come in here day after day arguing on points that are obviously out of order.

I might make one final submission to you on this point, on a point of order, that is that apart from obviating these wrangles over procedure, urgency, public importance and other aspects, it would certainly help to make this House more relevant in the public mind if we had some way whereby a question of this sort could be brought forward as they are brought forward in other Parliaments.

Sin cheist eile.

The fact that perhaps none of your predecessors ever decided to take an initiative on this matter should not prevent your doing so.