First, we should congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Pattison, who was elected to the House 45 years ago today. That is an outstanding record of public service.

Hear, hear.

The Taoiseach addressed the House for two hours yesterday, trying to explain his position. He failed in a number of fundamental areas to answer pertinent questions. He failed to explain how he amassed a sum of more than €60,000 without having a bank account. People find this incredible and he might take some time to explain that and, for example, whether his monthly salary cheque was cashed in the same place. How could that happen?

He also failed to address the contradiction between not accepting money in Dublin and accepting money in Manchester. He said that if he saw the collection going around the table, he would not have accepted it, yet he did so when he walked out the door and the person who handed it to him, God rest his soul, was not in a position to tell him whether it was a political donation or a personal donation.

The Taoiseach failed to respond comprehensively to a question as to whether he attended a function in any other jurisdiction and received personal moneys. There is an old saying down the country that a hen that lays out once will lay out again. He might like to address these questions.

I thank the Deputy for staying within his two minutes.

I spent two hours 20 minutes answering questions here yesterday and I spent an hour last week. At every opportunity where members of the national media asked questions over the past two weeks, whether that was in Clare, Cavan or Dublin, I answered. I gave comprehensive answers yesterday so I will not go on each day rehashing the same questions.

The only question of substance the Deputy asked was whether I got a gift or donation in any other jurisdiction. If I did not answer it yesterday, my apologies. No, I did not.

What?

How does the Taoiseach know?

Answer the questions.

It is simply incredible that a Minister for Finance who did not have a bank account was still in a position to put together more than €60,000 in savings in the 1990s. Deputy Rabbitte queried where that might have been kept. This matter consumes the public.

It does not.

It consumes the Deputy.

The public does not believe what Government Members are saying.

None of the Government Members believe he did wrong anyway.

Will the Taoiseach clarify what is now the new standard accepted by the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil, which means, as far as I can understand it, that any Minister can attend a function, switch off his or her public ministry, become a private citizen, feel that he or she is not under obligation to any organisation and accept €60,000 without it being morally, politically or ethically incorrect?

The Deputy's time is concluded.

What is the difference between that and what happened to the former Minister of State, Deputy Callely?

I am sorry, but the Deputy cannot go on asking questions after his minute is concluded. The Taoiseach only has a minute to reply.

If the Taoiseach finds that any of his Ministers is caught in that boat, will he be able to sack them?

The Government and the House have brought in a range of stringent legislation over the past decade which governs this House. This includes the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. We all make our annual returns.

I appreciate Deputy Kenny's previous statements that he does not want to go in to my separation issues. I have explained that the accounts were in our joint names and when I was going through the separation agreement, I did not put the money into a joint account. That is all I did for the obvious reason that——

Where did the Taoiseach put it?

——if one is going through a separation, life is not particularly easy. That is all I did. I did no more than that.

Where did the Taoiseach put the money?

Did he put it under the bed or something?

What about the £50,000?

That is irrelevant.

It is not irrelevant.

What about the 34% increase in gas prices?