Order of Business.
It is proposed to take Nos. 6 and 14. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) No. 6 shall be decided without debate; (2) No. 14, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 4.45 p.m. and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the opening statement of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokesperson for the Fine Gael Party, the Progressive Democrat's Party and the Technical Group shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case; (ii) the statement of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case and (iii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon not later than 4.35 p.m. to make a statement in reply and (3) The Dáil on its rising today shall adjourn until Tuesday, 14 June 1994.
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Is it agreed that item No. 6 be decided without debate? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with No. 14 satisfactory and agreed?
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This matter is obviously an important one which deals with the question of the Third World debt but given also the importance of the current crisis facing TEAM Aer Lingus, will the Government agree to providing one hour for a debate this afternoon on this issue so that the Minister responsible for TEAM Aer Lingus can make a statement in the House about what he is doing to ensure that the jobs and the company will survive?
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Let us dispose of this item first, Deputy, and then perhaps the matter to which you advert——
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I am asking now because we are at the point of approving the running of the Third World debt debate up to 4.45 p.m. I am asking that the last hour of today's business be provided to deal with the TEAM Aer Lingus crisis given that the Dáil is not sitting next week and, as I understand it, the company has set a deadline of 8 June——
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The Taoiseach might respond and indicate whether the Government is willing to provide time.
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Perhaps it is a matter for the Whips. It is distinctly a separate matter. It should not lead to argument now, Deputy.
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The Chair will agree that I am in order in raising this matter.
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It is doubtful. As I said, the Deputy is raising a separate matter. How the Deputy can relate that to the matter before the House is difficult to understand.
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I am in order in raising a question about fixing a time limit for the debate on Third World debt. I am asking if the Government will provide an hour today for a debate on the crisis facing TEAM Aer Lingus which affects 1,800 jobs and the survival of an important company.
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Given that the House will not sit next week and a deadline of 8 June has been set by the company, will the Taoiseach indicate if he is prepared to allow a one hour debate? We would like to hear what the Minister hopes to do to save the company.
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At this stage the Government do no regard it as helpful to have a debate but, if that changes, we will come back to the House later. The Government is as concerned as anybody else about the loss of jobs or the potential job loss in TEAM Aer Lingus. The matter is being delicately handled at present and I do not think a debate in the House would in any way help towards resolving the serious problems that exist. They are not problems which a debate here will resolve.
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Are the proposals for dealing with item No. 14 satisfactory and agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for the Adjournment of the House to Tuesday, 14 June satisfactory? Agreed.
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Yesterday on the Order of Business and on other occasions the Taoiseach announced he had relinguished all involvement with the family company C & D Foods.
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Can he explain how his photograph appears in this week's Business and Finance with his son at a promotion of C & D Foods?
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I have asked Members to conform to my ruling. The Deputy may not argue with me. The Deputy must put down the magazine.
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We were given information yesterday which now appears to be untrue.
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The Taoiseach told us he relinquished all involvement in the company and now we see that in 1991, which is within the last four years——
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The Chair must also protect us.
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The Chair must protect us from hearing information that is not borne out by photographs like this.
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I have said on many occasions that if serious charges are to be made against persons inside or outside the House it must be done by way of substantive motion. It cannot be done by innuendo and accusation across the floor of the House. I will have no more of it.
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If the Taoiseach had said this outside the House I would not raise it here but he said it in the House——
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It is under the protection of the Chair that I am asking for clarification of information given to the House.
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The Chair must protect us. and there seems to be evidence that the Chair only wants to protect the Government side. The Chair must protect this side of the House also.
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Will the Chair let the Taoiseach answer?
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Why not? He raised the issue in this House. Why is the Chair protecting him?
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Does the House want an adjournment now? The Deputy has accused the Chair of partisanship. I repudiate that. The Deputy must withdraw that remark.
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My Leader raised a number of questions the other day and none of them was answered. Here we have an example of something that does not bear out what we were told.
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The Chair may have had enough but we deserve the protection of the Chair also.
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I am, because the Chair will not allow the Taoiseach to answer. The Chair allowed him to speak on the Order of Business yesterday.
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I am sorry if the Chair thinks so.
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I have informed Members of the House on many occasions, personally and by letter, how we should proceed at this time. No Member can imply they are not aware of the proceedings on the Order of Business, yet we have this constant defiance. Certain Members take the view that they can raise what they like on the Order of Business. I disabuse them of this notion. They cannot raise these matters on the Order of Business. It is disorderly to do so and I cannot have it.
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What about the dagger Deputy Haughey got? It is nothing like the Jaguar that Deputy Reynolds got. Morning after morning Deputy Spring comes into this House——
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No questions have been answered.
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The Tánaiste is hiding his head in shame.
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The Taoiseach does not respect it very well.
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——are in flagrant violation of the procedures on the Order of Business. They know that and the Chair is accused of partisanship when he applies the rules.
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If the Deputy standing has a relevant matter to raise I will hear him, but I will not hear him on the matter I have ruled out of order.
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As regards promised legislation, I understand we were promised legislation last night by the Tánaiste in relation to nationality and citizenship. Do not tell me it was not promised.
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No legislation was promised in this House as yet. An interdepartmental committee is sitting to update every aspect of the scheme and, in due course, when the Government has decided on it, if legislation is to be introduced it will be brought before the House.
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Do I understand that the promise given by the Tánaiste has been withdrawn 24 hours later?
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Where are all the high ideals the Deputy had when he sat in those benches?
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The Deputy was bought for a very small price. What happened to him between the time he was here and then over there?
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Does the Government think this is over?
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Will the Taoiseach explain whether promised legislation means when he states it in the House or when the Tánaiste agrees on something——
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In view of the fact that the House is adjourning may I ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to tell us today if farmers in Donegal will be paid——
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I had this problem yesterday. Are we to have a repeat performance from the Deputy today?
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I am making a plea. The House will adjourn today. Will the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry confirm that the cheques are in the post or are the farmers going to be paid at all?
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Is the Taoiseach repudiating the undertaking given by the Tánaiste last night to bring in legislation to review this disgraceful scheme?
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The Taoiseach must be relieved that the Dáil is not sitting next week.
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Notwithstanding the fact that I am a candidate in the European Elections, I will try to be orderly. May I ask the Taoiseach if it is envisaged that the Ethics in Public Office Bill will be enacted before the summer recess and whether it will contain provisions to deal with the issues raised on the Order of Business today and on previous days?
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No legislation has yet been promised in the House. It is very unlikely that the Government would have completed its consideration——
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The Deputy referred to the Ethics in Public Office Bill.
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Sorry. If Deputy McDowell paid more attention to the need for foreign investment it would be more helpful to the House than the sneering in which he engages.
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Perhaps the Taoiseach should listen to the questions which are asked.
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It is most unlikely that the Ethics in Public Office Bill will be enacted before the summer recess but, as I have said previously in the House, it is a matter for the Whips to get together and ensure it is debated at the earliest possible time. The Government has no problems with this debate.