Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

On a point of order, the Standing Order which the Chair read concerns members of Government. There is, however, a separate Standing Order for the Taoiseach. Standing Order 36 states:

Questions addressed to the Taoiseach may be asked only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and shall be placed on the Order Paper before Questions to other members of the Government to be asked on the same day. The time allowed for the Taoiseach's Questions shall not exceed forty-five minutes each day. Any Question to the Taoiseach which appears on Tuesday's Order Paper and which is not disposed of shall be placed on the Order Paper for the following day before Questions to the Taoiseach to be asked on that day, save that a Question to be taken by the Taoiseach may be placed before Questions to be taken by a Minister of State at his or her Department.

I see nothing in that Standing Order that restricts me in asking the Taoiseach whether he endorses a statement by a Cabinet colleague or another prominent member of his party.

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