It is a matter of grave concern that the Government is now dependent, in a formal way, on the support of Deputy Lowry. Having said that, I also find it disturbing that the Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Breen, has not explained himself to either House of the Oireachtas in respect of his engagement with Mr. McCourt and the former Minister, Deputy Naughten, which was the cause of the latter's resignation.

I consider it outrageous that the Minister of State would arrange for a senior Minister to travel over 170 miles to attend a dinner with a constituent of his yet we are supposed to believe they never discussed the contract or the tendering and to accept that that is okay because the Minister of State has no involvement in that Department. If the former Minister resigned on the basis of inappropriate contact with Mr. McCourt, surely, the Minister of State must at least account to this or the Lower House for his behaviour if we are to have continued confidence in his capacity to fulfil his duties. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, come to the House and account for his actions. If he has nothing to hide, there is no reason for the Leader of the House not to facilitate that request.

Ministers are not accountable to this House; under the Constitution they are only accountable to the Dáil.

That is fine, but I remember that-----

We cannot call a Minister to appear before the House. I must, therefore, rule the Senator’s proposed amendment out of order.

In that case, allow me to make this point.

Does the Senator have a question?

Let me make a request. I recall the former Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, coming to the House and being asked questions by Senators-----

A splendid woman.

On that occasion she came to the House to deal with scheduled business that had been proposed.

I am making a request. If the Leas-Chathaoirleach is to rule me out of order-----

The Order of Business is proposed by the Leader. The Senator is making a request of the Leader.

I am requesting the Leader to invite the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, to the House to answer questions about the recent controversy. I can only imagine the reaction in this House, the Lower House and the media if any Labour Party Minister or the Minister of State in the previous Government did what the Minister of State has done. I am quite sure Fine Gael is hoping this will be forgotten about such that it can move on to other issues and pretend it did not happen but two things must go out to the-----

The Leader can pant, moan and whinge all he likes, but the reality of the situation-----

Through the Chair, please. The Leader will reply in due course.

The Senator is a great man to throw stones.

The reality of the situation-----

The Senator must finish.

The Leader's Government is now dependent on the vote of a convicted criminal and trying to move away from a controversy where a Minister of State arranged a dinner with a bidder for a contract-----

I do not think he is a convicted criminal.

Who?

To whomever Senator Ó Ríordáin is referring.

He has a criminal conviction for tax irregularities. The Government is now trying to move away from a controversy relating to the actions of a Minister of State facilitating a dinner between a bidder and a senior Minister, for which the senior Minister resigned. If the Government is trying to move away from that situation, it says a lot about where the Fine Gael Party is now.

I remind the Senator about his language.

The Senator has the same line all the time.

I am making that request of the Leader-----

He uses the same line all the time.

He uses the single transferable speech the whole time.

I am formally requesting that the Leader bring the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, to the House.

The Senator is well over time.

If the Leader does not facilitate the request, it will say an awful lot about his party, and what he really believes regarding ethics and morality and how politics should be properly conducted in this country.

The Senator Ó has exceeded his time.