asked the Minister for Communications the steps he is taking to establish or aid in establishing an Irish-owned deep sea fleet.

The Committee on Strategic Shipping Requirements which I established last year recommended that measures be taken to provide an effective stimulus to support the existing fleet and to attract new investors to the industry.

The Government have been considering the committee's findings. Detailed discussions have been in progress for some time involving Government Departments and the shipping industry as to what measures of assistance might be feasible and appropriate bearing in mind the present very difficult Exchequer position. When a conclusion has been reached I will make an announcement.

Arising from another béal bocht answer, can the Minister say whether any proposals have come from private concerns with regard to the establishment of a deep sea fleet?

My béal bocht and those of other Ministers are the direct result of the misgovernment of this country from 1977 to 1981.

That is the biggest load of nonsense I have ever listened to. The Government have been in charge for nine of the last 13 years.

From 1977 to 1981 interest alone on the borrowings undertaken by that Government exceed our current budget deficit. But for that we would be in surplus.

I would ask the Chair to stop protecting lies in this House.

Deputy Wilson should withdraw that remark. I do not know what you mean by that.

I withdraw the remark. The fact is that 63 per cent of the debts incurred by the State have been incurred by a Coalition Government in nine out of the last 13 years. I am sick, sore and tired of listening to this propagandistic nonsense.

That is not in order

Debts incurred from 1977 to 1981 when this country was wrecked——

If Deputies would stick——

The trouble is that the Government believe their own propaganda. They will not believe the facts from the Central Statistics Office.

Deputies should stick to questions in an unemotional way. All this started by Deputy Wilson introducing his supplementary question by using the words "another béal bocht".