When is the next Stage to be taken?
THE DAIL IN COMMITTEE. - DAIL RESUMES
Bill, with amendments, Reported.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
I would be anxious to take the Report Stage on Friday, and to that end I have made arrangements that amendments embodying the undertakings which I gave in the course of the passage of the Bill through Committee, would be handed in to-day. It is really a matter of the printing; if the Bill, as amended, could be printed in time for the Report Stage on Friday I would be glad.
The Bill, as amended in Committee, will be in the hands of Deputies to-morrow evening about 4 o'clock.
On a point of order, will it be in order to receive this Bill for Friday?
It would be impossible to get the amendments in time, if four days' notice of amendments were given, naturally.
I desire to say that in a Bill of this kind proper time should be given for amendments. There is no reason why the Bill should not be taken on Monday, which would give time. To take it on Friday would seem to be rushing the thing quite unnecessarily. The Bill is a very serious one, and Deputies should have the Bill in their hands, as passed in Committee, before being invited to put in amendments for the Report Stage.
Is it a fact that the Standing Orders require four days' notice for amendments? The copy which I have dealing with amendments to motions, seems to contemplate that they shall be in, not later than 11 a.m. on the second preceding day. That is Standing Order 12. It does not seem to apply to Bills, but I cannot find any other Standing Order dealing with the matter.
Amendments will have to reach us before 11 a.m. on Wednesday to be strictly in order. If they were accepted later they would not be in the hands of Deputies until Friday.
Perhaps it would be fairer to the minority in the Dáil if the Bill were not taken until Monday.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
Well, Sir, I have stated the position. The Bill is an urgent one, and the question of its consideration next week in the Seanad depends largely on its being taken on Friday, if at all possible, and I think that Deputies should realise that a Bill having been in their hands for 10 days or a fortnight, and having been very thoroughly considered in Committee, it is not unreasonable to ask that the interval as between Monday and Friday should be sufficient between the Committee and the Report Stage.
On a point of order, I would draw attention to the Order, which says that notice of motion must be handed in on the fourth preceding day. Monday would be the fourth preceding day, so that it is impossible to have the motion in time to take the next stage on Friday.
The Standing Order bearing upon the particular matter is 74, of the book in the Deputies hand, "When a Bill has been returned from a Special Committee, or from the Dáil sitting in Committee, notice shall be given of a motion to receive the Bill for final consideration." That is the notice which the Minister is giving now. The notice requires strictly the usual notice which is given on motions and, strictly, therefore, it is late. Is there objection to taking the notice.
Yes.
Mr. O'HIGGINS
Very good. I must move that we take it on Monday next.
Report Stage ordered for next Monday.