It is proposed to take Nos. 11 and 13. Private Members' Business shall be No. 27, Motion 54.

On the Order of Business there are two items I would like to raise briefly. First, I am sure the House will agree with me in condemning out of hand the barbarity of the Provisional IRA's murder of two Australian tourists in Germany and the hypocrisy of their so-called apology. I know, Sir, that a majority of this House would agree with me that this is yet another reason to deplore the continued prevarication of the Taoiseach on the clear need to amend our law on extradition in order to close loopholes that have been identified.

The Deputy is now entering into an area which is not in conformity with the Order of Business.

That is something which is a very strong concern——

It may very well be, but it does not arise now.

Thank you, Sir. The other point I want to mention is that it is proposed today to take No. 13, the Fóir Teoranta (Dissolution) Bill, 1990. My Whip has made it very clear that we do not agree to this Bill being taken in the House until the Companies Bill is out of Committee, so I am opposing today's Order of Business.

Has the Taoiseach now resolved——

Sorry, the Taoiseach wishes to intervene.

I will ignore the tendentious remarks of Deputy Dukes——

You cannot ignore——

Let me point out that it is not open to the Leader of the Opposition to oppose the Order of Business.

I am opposing taking the Fóir Teoranta Bill because it has been made perfectly clear by my party that we do not agree to that Bill being taken before the Companies Bill is out of Committee.

As far as the Chair is concerned the items before us today are clearly the prerogative of the Taoiseach. There is nothing to put to the House.

A Cheann Comhairle——

Sorry, Deputy Dukes.

It is standing practice that the Order of Business is agreed. I do not agree the Order of Business today.

Absolutely, Deputy Dukes, when there is something to put to the House. There is nothing to put to the House in respect of today's Order Paper.

What you are putting to the House is simply a fait accompli. When the House arrives at that business we will oppose taking that business today.

That is the Deputy's prerogative.

May I inquire of the Taoiseach whether the difficulties regarding the Committee on Crime have now been resolved as far as the Government are concerned? Can he indicate whether and when the motion for the establishment of that committee will be moved by him?

It is a matter for the Whips.

While it is a matter for the Whips, there was some discussion at the meeting of the Whips on Thursday last and there is no clear decision. I think it is incumbent on the Taoiseach to give this information to the House now, given the fact that it was on the Order Paper and moved the way it was late last week. I am asking on the Order of Business when this motion will be moved.

I have allowed the Deputy to put his question but I will not allow a rehash of the discussion on that matter now.

I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the nonpayment of moneys to St. Helen's national school, Portmarnock, which has given rise to a court order being served on the parish priest and the likelihood that he might be jailed if he does not pay.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I too would like to raise a matter on the Adjournment. I sought to put down a private notice question on the issue but it was not allowed because of the private notice question last week. I want to raise on the Adjournment the ramming of a fishing boat from Castletownbere by a Spanish vessel yesterday — the second ramming within seven days — and the steps which need to be taken to provide protection for our fishermen from intimidation and attack.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

May I ask the Taoiseach when he will announce the setting up of the Commission on the Status of Women, and if he will be making that statement in the House?

Very soon, and yes.

In the absence of my colleague spokesman on Industry and Commerce, Deputy Seán Barrett, I would like to ask the Taoiseach when it is proposed to appoint the Director of Consumer Affairs and Fair Trade.

It is not relevant today.

It is, Sir.

It should be submitted by way of an ordinary question.

It is an office that has been left vacant and promised.

There are ways and means of dealing with it.

I would like to raise on the Adjournment the issuing of prospecting licences for gold in environmentally sensitive areas.

I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.

I have two matters: I seek to raise on the Adjournment the matter I pursued last week, that of the status of those solicitors who have qualified from the Incorporated Law Society's School of Education from 1984 to date. I will leave it at that.

I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.

I seek your permission, Sir, to come back to the issue of the Committee on Crime.

I am afraid that is not in order. I will not permit it.

Could I seek assistance——

No, Deputy. Desist.

May I address you in this respect? The Taoiseach earlier indicated that this was a matter for the Whips. We had a meeting. We discussed it with the Whips——

I have ruled on the matter, Deputy McCartan.

I understood you to rule it out of order, that the matter was only to be answered. The matter was concluded at the Whips' meeting and it is now with the Government.

The Deputy is seeking to reopen a matter I have ruled out of order.

I seek to raise on the Adjournment the escalating cost of motor insurance for many young drivers.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I would like to raise on the Adjournment the ongoing delay in the commencement of the community school in Rathkeale, County Limerick and the type of conditions to which particularly teachers and pupils are subjected in the convent school in Rathkeale.

I will communicate with Deputy Finucane in respect of that matter.

In view of the very serious deadlock in the fishing industry in relation to the issuing of fishing boat licences, could the Taoiseach tell us when his Government will be in a position to break the deadlock and issue new fishing boat licences to people——

The matter does not arise now and the Deputy knows that full well.

I would like to put it to the Taoiseach that in the absence of his Minister for Tourism and Transport, Deputy Séamus Brennan, the Department of Tourism and Transport, were grossly negligent when on 1 November——

Deputy Lee, I am sorry. Please listen to the Chair. The matter to which you now advert is completely out of order.

With respect, you do not know to what I am going to refer.

Indeed, I do.

No, you do not.

The Deputy has tried to raise this matter before. My office will assist the Deputy in raising it in a proper fashion.

This is a serious matter.

That may be so.

There are low standards in high places in the Department of Tourism and Transport.

The Deputy will desist. The Deputy may not defy the ruling of the Chair. I must ask you to resume your seat.

A Cheann Comhairle——

Deputy Lee, for the third time resume your seat or leave the House.

It is a very serious matter.

Deputy Lee, please conform or leave the House.

Let me ask the Government and the Taoiseach when it is proposed to move item No. 9, a motion on today's Order Paper which stands in their name.

He is asking the same question again, a Cheann Comhairle.

Is the Taoiseach muttering something to you, a Cheann Comhairle? Are we to be involved in this tete-a-tete?

Item No. 11.

On a point of order, I have asked a question of the Chair. I have seen the Taoiseach mutter something; I think the answer should be given to the House. There is a motion in the name of the Government on today's Order Paper. It is in order, on my submission, subject to your ruling, to ask when it will be moved. When is it intended to move it?

The Chair observes that the Deputy for the second, if not the third time, is seeking to circumvent the ruling of the Chair on the matter.