An bhfuilim in ordú ceist a chur ort i dtaobh áit an chruinnithe?
AIT AN CHRUINNITHE.
Cad í an cheist í?
Ba mhaith liom fhios a bheith agam cionus a thárla gur toghadh an áit seo in ionad áite éigin níos oiriúnaí. Bhfuil cead agam an cheist sin a chur?
Ba cheart duit cheist a chur ar an bpáipéar.
Do scríobhas chughat. Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh fhios ag na Teachtaí anso cad na thaobh go bhfuil so amhlaidh. Ba mhaith liom go gcloisfidís an litir a scríobhas agus an freagra a thugais.
Léigh an litir agus an freagra.
Fé mar a fuair Teachtaí eile na Dála é, fuaireas fógra ón gCeann gComhairle a rádh gur sa Halla so a bheadh an cruinniú. Taréis dom labhairt le cuid dem' cháirde do scríobhas chun an Chinn Chomhairle agus léighfead an litir sin díbh. An i nGaedhilg nó i mBearla a léighfead í? ("Gaedhilg"). Bfhéidir gur bhfearr í léigheadh i nGaedhilg. Seo í an litir:—
"Aibreán 20adh.
"Do:—
Eoin Mac Néill, T.D.,
Ceann Comhairle,
Dáil Éireann.
A Chara,
Fritheadh do leitir 'na raibh an fuagra a chuiris amach ghá rá linn bheith i láthair ag Seisiún Dála Éireann a bheidh ar siubhal Dia Máirt seo chugainn an 25adh lá de mhí Aibreáin agus tugaimíd fá ndeara go bhfuil socair agat an Tionól seo a bheith i Seómra na Comhairle, Coláiste na hOllsgoile, Baile Atha Cliath.
"Ar son Cumann na Poblachta táimíd ag scríobhadh chugat le cur i n-iúil duit gur deineadh a lán gearáin ag cuid mór de na Teachtaí ag an Seisiún deireanach agus gurab é tuairim an fhurmhóir nach raibh an Tógáil úd oireamhnach do chruinnithe na Dála agus go mba ceart go ndéanfaidhe socrú leis an Ard-Mhaor i dtreo is go dtionólfaidhe gach cruinniú feasta i Seómra Cruinn Tighe an Mhéire mar ba gnáthach cheana.
"Toise thú bheith as láthair an fhaid a bhí an Seisiún deiridh ag dul ar aghaidh, níor tugadh míniú ceart ar an bhfáth gur tóghadh Tógáil na h-Ollsgoile mar áit teangbhala le h-aghaidh na gcruinnithe úd, ach dubhairt an Rúnaidhe nach ndearnadh socrú ceart in am tráth.
"Sinn-ne atá ag scríobhadh in ainm Cumann na Poblachta, cuirimíd i n-úil duit toise nach mbíonn cúnntaisí cuibhe ar imtheactaí agus óráidí an lae agus toise nach mbíonn slíghe 'san Tógáil úd i gcóir an Phobail gurab é ár dtuairim gur mór an dochar é do na daoine comónta cruinnithe a thionóladh 'san dTógáil úd.
"D'á bhrígh sin, glaoidhimíd ort dul chun cainte le hArd-Mnaor Bhaile Atha Cliath agus socrú a dhéanamh leis go dtionólfaidhe an cruinniú seo san Seomra Cruinn, Tigh an Ard-Mhéire.
"Sinn-ne le meas,
H. Boland,
Seán T. O Ceallaigh."
[Translation].
"20th April.
"Eoin MacNeill, T.D.,
Ceann Comhairle,
Dáil Éireann.
"A Chara,
"Your summons to attend the session of Dáil Éireann, which opens on Tuesday next April 25th, has been duly received and we notice that it is proposed to hold this meeting in the Council Chamber of University College, Dublin.
"On behalf of the Republican Party, we wish to remind you that the holding of the meetings of the Dáil in the University building was vigerously protested against at the last session by a large body of members and the opinion was generally expressed that that building was quite unsuitable for Dáil meetings and that arrangements should be made with the Lord Mayor to hold all future meetings in the Round Room of the Mansion House as heretofore. On account of your absence during the last session, no satisfactory explanation was given as to why the University building was selected as the venue for that meeting but the Rúnaidhe stated that arrangements to that end had not been made in sufficient time. We, writing on behalf of the Republican Party, inform you that in view of the absence of verbatim reports of each day's proceedings, we consider the holding of the meetings of An Dáil in any building which does not permit of the attendance of the public is prejudicial to the public interest—against which we renew our protest.
"We, therefore, call upon you to arrange with the Lord Mayor of Dublin for the use of the Round Room, Mansion House, for this meeting."
"Sinne, le meas,
Harry Boland,
Seán T. O Ceallaigh."
Sé seo an freagra do fuaramar:—
"Carraig Dhubh,
"21/4/1922.
"Do Sheán T. O Ceallaigh, T.D.
agus Enrí O Beoláin, T.D.
"A Cháirde,
"I bhfreagra ar bhúr litir faoi dáta 20/4/1922, mar a n-abruigheann sibh gur chóir an cruinniú seo chugainn de Dháil Éireann a bheith sa Round Room sa Mansion House toisg gan cúnntas verbatim a bheith le fághail ar chursaí na Dála, is follus nach léigheas air sin áit an chruinnighthe do atharú agus ní féidir liom aon atharú a dhéanamh ar an bhfógra.
"Mise, le meas oraibh,
"Eoin Mac Néill,
"Ceann Comhairle."
Do scríobhas chuige an lá 'na dhiadh sin:—
"Aibreán 22adh.
"Do
Eoin Mac Néill, T.D.,
Ceann Comhairle na Dála.
"A Chara,
"Do leitir de'n 21adh lá de'n mhí seo againn. Go raibh, maith agat ar a shon. Mar adubhramar 'sa leitir a chuireamar chughat indé, tá fáthanna eile seachas cúnntas verbatim ar chúrsaí na Dála a bheith le fághail againn ag cur i n-aghaidh na gcruinnithe a bheith: dTigh Coláiste na h-Ollsgoile Baile Atha Cliath. Sé ár dtuairim, go mbfhéidir cúnntaisí iomlána do chur amach gach lá dá dtoilfidhe é. O's rud é nár deineadh é sin go dtí seo agus nach bhfuil súil againn go ndéanfar anois é, sé ár dtuairim anois gur leigheas éigin ar sin an cruinniú a thionóladh i n-áit gur féidir le roinnt mhaith de'n Phobal a bheith i láthair.
"Mar gheall ar an mbreallán a dheineann lucht na bpáipéar núaidheachta orainn, sé ár mbaramhail go mba chóir roinnt mhaith de'n Phobal a bheith i láthair chun go mbeadh fírinne an sgéil ag cách.
"Is dóigh linn-ne gurb é céad dualgas Cinn Chomhairle cirt fhuilighe a chosaint i nDáil ar bith. Dá bhrígh sin, tá muinighin againn asat-sa go bhfeicfir go ndéanfar cirt an fhuilighe do chosaint sa gcás seo.
"Sinn-ne, le meas,
Harry Boland.
Seán T. O Ceallaigh."
Some of us on this side of the House —I don't know that there may not be some on the other side of the House also—feel that it is a serious inconvenience to the members and to the public that our meetings are held in this building. On the first occasion, there was good and sufficient reason but neither on the last occasion was there nor on this occasion, I submit, is there sufficient grounds for calling the Dáil meeting in such an unsuitable place as this is. We maintain, as long as there are buildings available, it is improper to hold the meeting of the Dáil in a building where a sufficient number of the public cannot come in and hear the discussion that takes place. We know that the Press, from the protests they have been obliged to make from time to time, cannot properly report the proceedings owing to the unsuitable accommodation for them. We on this side of the House, in particular, have a serious grievance owing to the manner in which, if I might say so, our words are unofficially censored by the Press. You, A Chinn Comhairle are not responsible for that but we maintain, as a minority here, that we ought be able to claim your protection in matters of that kind. We have rights as a minority and, with all respect, we believe that the first duty of a President of a gathering such as this should be to protect the rights of the minority.
We complain that we are not properly reported and that very frequently we are misrepresented in the Press. We have no way to meet this misrepresentation if we have not a guarantee that the public, under your auspices, should be allowed in to hear these discussions. We say that you should make it your duty to see that the verbatim reports of our proceedings should be published as soon as possible after these proceedings are over.
The reports of last August and September have been for some unaccountable reason held up and have not been published. That is as much against one side as the other but I think we have not had any justifiable explanation for the unaccountable delay that has occurred. The publication of these reports would be a guarantee of some kind that we could answer the misrepresentations in the Press. On these grounds, I submit that you should arrange for a more suitable and more convenient place of meeting. I suggested in the letter that you should ask for the Round Room in the Mansion House—a place where public meetings have been held. I know that the Mansion House is available and I know that the Mansion House was kept specifically available for this gathering, if we cared to ask for it so there is no reason for saying that no other building was suitable or available. I move that further meetings be held in a more suitable building. You yourself, A Chinn Chomhairle, could arrange whatever details would be necessary.
I second that motion.
There is no motion. A motion would not be in order.
Níl acht cúpla focal agam le rádh. Sé sin, mar gheall ar Phróinsias Laidhléis a fuair bás seachtmhain ó shoin agus——
With regard to the question that has been raised, you have heard the answer I gave as to the reason that was put forward to me—the absence of verbatim reports——
One reason.
My reply to that was I could not see that that is a reason. If this matter is to be followed up any further, it must be done regularly in the form of a motion.
I beg leave to say that I will raise the matter to-morrow in the way I have mentioned.
It affects also the privileges of this House and I would ask you what is the cause of the delay in publishing the verbatim reports of the previous sessions.
That will have to come forward in a motion.
It is a question of privilege.
I have ruled that it must come up in the ordinary way.
Of whom should it be asked? This is a question to the Chairman of the House.
Evidently, I would not be in a position to answer the question, for I was not in charge of the proceedings at the time. I presume therefore it should be asked of a Minister.
It is raised in conjunction with the proceedings.
I was not Ceann Comhairle at the time.
You, as head of this assembly are responsible for the proper conduct of this assembly. It cannot be conducted properly unless these reports are available.
In order that we will not waste time, what I would propose is that we agree whole-heartedly that we go to the Mansion House, that we get an understanding that if there are verbatim reports in the newspapers, these newspapers will be allowed to reach the Irish people and that the same solicitude for having a public audience at Dáil debates be extended to public meetings throughout the country.
We will pass to the questions.
I dtaobh an rud adubhairt cheana, cuirim rún——
You must get the permission of the Dáil.
It would come better from yourself.
MR. LYNCH:
It is in my report.