Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I seek the guidance of the Ceann Comhairle in a matter. As I understand it, the Ceann Comhairle has the responsibility to uphold the rights of all Deputies on all sides. Deputies have the right to hold Ministers to account and one of the ways we do so is by asking parliamentary questions. The Ceann Comhairle's office has no responsibility for the content of those questions and I understand this. However, what role, if any, does the Ceann Comhairle or the Committee on Procedure and Privileges have where a Department, in this specific instance the Department of Education and Science, consistently refuses to answer questions on the basis that it would take an inordinate amount of time or that the question is not relevant or more or less that the Deputy can just shove off? I have chapter and verse and an expansive file of such replies in my office going back for just over a year. What are the rights of Deputies on this side of the House to seek the Ceann Comhairle's protection to get a definitive answer, not the content of the answer but to get a definitive answer to a legitimate question?

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