David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

On a point of order, will the Ceann Comhairle advise us on the criteria he uses for Private Notice Questions? I would have thought that the loss of 1,100 jobs in east County Cork would be important enough to discuss yesterday, but I was ruled out of order. What criteria are used in these matters and how many jobs must be lost — 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000? When something as important as this happens in an area, we cannot discuss it here and the Minister cannot be called into the House. It affects not only east County Cork but all Munster and the entire country, yet we are not allowed to discuss it in this House. It is ridiculous.

See this speech in context