Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I want to establish whether this is true or whether it has just been put out there. Has the Taoiseach been informed that there is an arrangement for the rotation of Ministers in the Green Party? If he has been notified of that arrangement, why has he not informed the House of it before now and if on foot of it, he expects to come before the House to nominate new members for appointment by the President to be members of the Government. Is the Taoiseach aware of the arrangement Senator Boyle announced to the nation last night that the Green Party is to have a second Minister of State appointed?

The next issue I raise also relates to the Constitution. The Government is responsible to the Dáil under the Constitution. One of the ways that responsibility is exercised is by Members of the Dáil asking parliamentary questions of Ministers. It has been the case from time to time that a question is tabled but a Minister cannot answer it or he or she must take time to assemble the information or whatever and we all understand that. However, in recent weeks there has been a pattern in the replies to Members. For example, 58 parliamentary questions were tabled to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs yesterday.

See this speech in context