I beg to move that we receive this delegation of Labour. I need hardly point out to the House the very important part that the Labour Movement of this country has played in the affairs of the last four or five years.
Prelude
THE SPEAKER (DR. EOIN MAC-NEILL) took the Chair at 11.30 a.m., and said:
A telegram has been received from Cardinal Gasparri, Papal Secretary of State to the Vatican. My knowledge of Italian does not enable me to read it. The English translation of the telegram is:
"The Holy Father rejoices with the Irish people because of the understanding or agreement, and prays that the Lord will send His blessing on the noble chosen people which has passed through such a long sorrow, ever faithful to the Catholic Church. Cardinal Gasparri."
The telegram is addressed to the President, Dail Eireann, Mansion House, Dublin. I suppose when the Dáil makes its arrangements for carrying on, a reply will be sent in due course. I have received the following communication:
"To Professor Mac Neill,
Speaker, Dáil Eireann.
Monday, January 9th, 1922.
I am directed by the National Executive of the Irish Labour Party and Trades Union Congress, the national exponents of the will of the organised workers of Ireland now in session, to request that the assembly will receive and hear a deputation on matters of extreme urgency and gravity affecting the lives of the people whom they represent. The desire of the delegation is to impress on An Dáil the political and economic situation in the country; the great problems of unemployment; reversion to grass of hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the present year; the imminence of a vast industrial upheaval due to attempts to degrade the standard of life of the people; and to call attention to the necessity for the functioning of a stable authority which will exercise power and authority in these urgent matters.
I am, faithfully yours,
Thomas Johnson, Secretary.
I understand the delegation is waiting to be received. A delegation can only be received here if it be the will of the Dáil, and that would require a motion duly moved and seconded. It is also understood that when a delegation is received here there is no discussion in the presence of the delegation. Its statement is simply received.
Hear, hear.
It will be agreed by everybody here that in every critical stage of our history a great and potent weapon which was always at our disposal, was to be found in the body to whom we are giving permission to address this House to-day. It is well, from many points of view, that the country should know the views of Labour from the economic standpoint, and it is also well that we should learn whatever there is to be learned from the difficulties and drawbacks under which Labour is suffering at the moment.
I beg to second that the Labour delegation be received.
THE SPEAKER
I am told that the delegation is not ready. It did not expect to be received so promptly, and it asks to be received after the mid-day adjournment.