Is the Minister aware that the Sunday before last his leader said that he had heads of a Bill almost ready or in some sort of ready stage? Perhaps he will check with the Taoiseach who made that statement on national radio.

The Deputy is good at parsing and analysing these statements. It is a pity he did not spend more of his energies in the last eight weeks parsing and analysing statements because then he would not be saying these things now.

I did but the Minister would not listen to me.

I do not intend to fall into the trap of a smart aleck question by the Deputy. I have already told the House that I have not yet put proposals before the Government that would lead to this legislation. What the Deputy wants to make of that for his own purposes is his own affair.

The Taoiseach made a statement——

I am glad the Deputy listened to him.

I was on just before him so I could not help listening to him.

The Deputy also made a few more remarks.