Arising from that supplementary, does the Taoiseach regard his Department as another line Department or a co-ordinating Department.

The Deputy should table a question. This is a purely statistical question.

The Taoiseach offered the information that, as far as his Department is concerned, he has complied with the obligations. Following from that I have asked if he regards the Department of the Taoiseach as another line Department or a co-ordinating Department.

Members should obey the Chair on these matters. I ask Members to respect the Chair and to go by what has been a long precedent in this House, that supplementary questions should not be asked on purely statistical questions where the reply is in the form of a tabular statement.

It is the implications of the statistics and his parliamentary reply——

The Deputy should table a separate question on matters arising from that.

That would involve a cost to the taxpayer.

It would be much cheaper if he answered the question now.

The Deputy has been there a year.

The Chair is concerned with the rule. The Chair does not have discretion to alter the rules in regard to questions or supplementary questions. I have made a ruling on the supplementary question and I ask the Deputy to resume his seat.

At a cost to the taxpayer.

If the question relates to chairman or chief, the answer is chief.

The question is delicately put.

We have wasted a great deal of time.

We got the real answer anyway; he is not doing his job.