I welcome the Minister taking Leaders' Questions and the Order-----

We are not taking Leaders' Questions, we are taking the Order of Business. I want to clarify it for the Deputy's sake in case he is getting mixed up.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I appreciate the reorientation course. I have just been at a funeral and I came in late. The Government's intention to hold a banking inquiry seems to have got clogged in a swamp and does not seem to be getting anywhere. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, the banks' chief executives and senior management teams are appearing before the committee to explain where they are in terms of meeting the mortgage crisis, with 180,000 families in deep distress. On my way in and on his way out, I met the chief executive of Permanent TSB on the steps, he recognised me immediately and he said to me-----

Deputy, this is the Order of Business and we are talking about legislation.

This is very much the Order of Business.

We are talking about promised legislation.

We have a promised banking inquiry under promised legislation.

Okay, the Deputy can ask a question on the banking inquiry.

No, I want to know this about it.

The Deputy cannot make a speech about it.

I am not making a speech.

We are dying to find out what happened.

There has been a seeming inability to understand that the banking boards of banks, for seven years leading up to 2008-----

No-----

A Cheann Comhairle, please-----

No, there is no please about it. I must be fair to everybody. The Order of Business is the Order of Business and it is not for people to stand up and make speeches on issues that they have deep concern about, which I fully understand. If the Deputy wants to ask the Minister when the banking inquiry will commence, that is in order within the Order of Business but not about who the Deputy met on the steps.

I have sat in that chair-----

Now, Deputy-----

-----and I have never caused people to laugh at a Member.

Resume your seat, please.

I will in a moment.

The Deputy will do it now, when I ask him to do so.

I will do it in a moment.

The Deputy will not do it in a moment, he will do it now. Please switch off the microphones.

I do not need a microphone.

The Deputy cannot abuse the Order of Business. Please resume your seat. The query was about the banking inquiry and I asked the Minister to respond. We are not having speeches.

It is a matter of fact that, on average, of the asset price collapse in this country the banks caused-----

Will the Deputy resume his seat for goodness sake and stop being out of order?

People are paying for that. The faster the inquiry gets going, the better for 180,000 people.

The Deputy should resume his seat. I will not ask him again.

That was an unfortunate episode. Thank you.

Deputy Mathews should not be surprised at how well known he is.

That is a wonderful joke.

The banking inquiry is at an advanced planning stage and is making progress.

Will it beat the statute of limitations?