Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

Sorry, may I interrupt the Minister of State? The Topical Issue debate was a very good introduction by the present Government. In recent months, I have had Ministers not being available, and we are losing slots. This Topical Issue matter must be taken seriously and it is irrelevant if it was raised on the Order of Business. The Department and the Minister were advised this morning, before the Order of Business, that this Topical Issue matter was granted. I would appreciate if the Minister of State would convey to the Department that we do not want any of those excuses.

I regard it as the right of a Deputy to raise a Topical Issue matter in this House. The Topical Issue debate has been very successful and with respect to this House, while we all have our jobs and our duties, the first duty of a Minister is to this House. The Topical Issue debate is one of the main ways for Deputies, backbenchers in particular, to raise matters of grave importance.

This should not be allowed to happen and, with respect, I ask the Minister of State to bring back to the Department that it is not doing us any favours by telling us that this was already raised on the Order of Business. This is the Topical Issue debate and everybody knows it takes place on a Thursday at this particular time, 4.42 p.m. to be exact.

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