On a point of order, I submitted, as is my right, three priority questions. One of those priority questions asked the Minister for Labour whether he had been asked to intervene in the dispute within the Prison Service. That does not appear on the Order Paper today. When I inquired from the Questions Office they informed me that the reason for that was that the Minister had transferred it to the Department of Justice. I make no point about the fact that I did not get any formal notice from the Chair's office, because I entirely accept that it went wrong in the postal service or whatever; I am not making any issue about that. However, the question specifically asked the Minister for Labour whether he had received a request and there is no question as to who has overall responsibility for the administration of the Prison Service. This issue has already arisen on at least two occasions in regard to questions on special notice.

I have allowed the Deputy some latitude on this matter and I should like to point out to him that it is not usual to question the rulings of the Chair on this matter. I should like to advise the Deputy that the Chair has no function whatever in respect of the transfer of questions from one Minister to another. It is not my function.

I was not seeking to challenge the Chair because I accept the Chair has no function in the matter.

I would like the Deputy's approval that Question Time should not be disrupted in this fashion. We should now proceed to deal with questions on the Order Paper.