The next item on the Orders of the Day is the Interim Report on Articles 21 and 23 of the Constitution and suggested appointments and remuneration of Officers of the Seanad—from the Seanad.
INTERIM REPORT ON ARTICLES 21 AND 23 OF CONSTITUTION.
ACTING CHAIRMAN
I move that this Report be listed for Tuesday, and in the meantime that the Ministry of Finance submit a report on the subject matter.
Will you kindly explain to us what is the position with regard to this? This is a Report which was passed, I understand, by the Seanad regarding something affecting the Seanad. How do we come into it?
ACTING CHAIRMAN
We come into it in so far as we have ultimately to provide the money for the payment of the officials.
Would a discussion on it come on when the question arises?
ACTING CHAIRMAN
It would, but it would be obviously very inconvenient for people to work for, say, two months and find then that no remuneration is coming to them.
There might be a strike.
ACTING CHAIRMAN
The President suggested that the matter be listed for Tuesday.
I only heard that this matter was on the Orders of the Day at 2.30 to-day. That is the first information I had about it, and obviously it would be impossible, in the short period between that hour and the assembling of the Dáil, to consider a subject which is somewhat complicated by reason of the Constitution. The Constitution reserves matters concerning money exclusively to this Dáil. No question arises in connection with it, but it is possible that meetings of the Seanad may not be as continuous as those of the Dáil, and it may be possible to make recommendations with regard to the staffs that will be required, and what are called minor appointments, and so on. In any case, having regard to the fact that it is now two or three weeks since the Seanad met, a staff would scarcely have been busily engaged during that period, and it is a question that is open for review and consideration, and the submission, perhaps, of some recommendations with regard to this matter. For that purpose, I move that this Report be listed for consideration on Tuesday, and in the meantime the Ministry of Finance submit a report on the matter.
I second the motion.
I take it the form it will take is, that the Minister will move a motion to the effect that this Report be considered by the Dáil. There is no automatic coming into consideration; it will have to be a specific motion by the Minister that this Report be considered.
ACTING CHAIRMAN
It would, of course.
With regard to the first part of the Report, that would have to be dealt with by an Act of the Oireachtas, that is to say, the particular payments there, and the payments in respect of this Dáil, would have to be embodied in an Act. Any consideration that would be given to them would be provisional only in the same sense as we had a short time ago. As regards the other part, it may not be necessary, and I do not think it will be necessary to embody it in an Act. At short notice it would really be too much to expect that we could deal with it now, but I propose to have the matter in order by Tuesday.
Question put and agreed to.