Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

——that he was unable to allow a particular question. I very much appreciate the personal tone of the letter. However, this related to a question on provisional drivers and their involvement in accidents in recent years. I was informed by the questions office that a precedent had been set to the effect that such questions were not in order and the Minister was not accountable to the House. I have set many precedents in this area over the years. This question has been answered many times and all the relevant information has been provided. The Minister must have been able to refer to that information when he made his decision on provisional driving licences and again when he swung a handbrake turn and reversed the whole procedure a few days later. I put it to the Ceann Comhairle that he contact the questions office in his superior mode and perhaps inform the officials there that we intend to pursue this issue on the basis of positive precedent.

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