Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

As I understand the Constitution, the Government is accountable to this House, the Parliament of the people. An issue of very serious accountability has arisen in relation to the Taoiseach. The House requires answers to some questions. The leader of my party has asked the Tánaiste, who is taking the Order of Business, what are the arrangements for the discharge of that. In response he said we could put down questions for next Tuesday, although the deadline has passed. Based on precedent, if we put down a question to the Taoiseach about something he did as Minister for Finance, the question will be transferred to the current Minister for Finance while the Taoiseach takes cover. We have to establish from the Tánaiste what arrangements are to be made for the accountability of the head of the Government to this House for the matters we wish to raise with him. We want to do that in an orderly way, making the job of the Ceann Comhairle and this House easier. I again ask the Tánaiste to tell this House what arrangements are to be put in place and in what period of time. I do not want smart responses that we can put down questions to the Taoiseach or raise them during Leaders' Questions. I want to know what time will be provided for the House to ask these questions and to make the Taoiseach accountable. It is a straightforward matter and I want a straight answer from the Tánaiste.

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