P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I tabled two questions to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, sitting beside the Taoiseach, on the decline of bed and breakfast units available to tourists and the lack of the Cork-Swansea ferry for the 2008 tourism season, two issues of tremendous interest to the good people of Cork and Kerry. The Ceann Comhairle wrote to me stating he would disallow the two questions because the Minister had no official responsibility to Dáil Éireann for these matters. Is he the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism? If he is, he should have responsibility for answering these questions.

Things have slid downhill since I was a Member for 21 years to 2002. Since my return to the House I have received a number of replies from Ministers ducking and diving around their responsibilities.

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