Before proceeding with the Orders of the Day, will the Dáil be informed as to what are the intentions regarding to-day's business?
THE ARMY SITUATION.
It is suggested that the Juries Amendment Bill and the Summer Time Bill should be taken first.
That is the proposal. Those Bills will occupy only a very short space of time, and then we will take up the financial business. It is proposed to adjourn at half-past one or two o'clock for one hour, or an hour and a half, according as Deputies will decide.
Is it proposed to take any business in addition to the Juries Amendment Bill and the Summer Time Bill?
We also propose to take the Vote on Account.
Before going ahead with that, are we to understand that it is on the financial business we are to have some information regarding the Army position?
Might I suggest that the suitable opportunity for information of that kind will be given by the Central Fund Bill, which, I take it, corresponds with the Consolidated Fund Bill in another place. The whole administration can then be discussed.
I would like to point out that the Dáil require to have some information as to the position since last Thursday; if the Minister says that on a particular item on the Order Paper such information is to be vouchsafed to the Dáil, then we will understand where we are. Otherwise we will have to find means of demanding information on some of the financial items.
Yes, there would be an opportunity on the Army Vote in this Vote on Account for a statement or a criticism on the general Army situation.
That would deprive us of the opportunity of criticising the Army Administration in detail. A good many Deputies want to bring forward specific complaints as regards Army administration on matters such as the non-payment of accounts and other things of that kind. If we once get to a general debate it would be impossible to bring these forward, and the Estimates on account are exactly the occasion on which they ought to be brought forward.
A more suitable occasion, I suggest, would be the Central Fund Bill.
I am agreeable.
Is that to be taken before the Estimates have been adopted?
No. That is the drawback to the suggestion. The Central Fund Bill cannot be taken before the Estimates have been adopted.
In that case, will the President take an opportunity by moving the adjournment to make a statement such as is required. Then we could discuss the matter and come to the Estimates afterwards. The Estimates range over a considerable number of subjects, including the Executive Council and the Army, and I think it would be unfortunate if we were forced to raise these questions on these two Votes.
I am very anxious to economise time? Would it be possible to have the statement made on the motion for going into Committee on Finance? That would come before the Estimates and would save moving the adjournment.
When the Dáil adjourned last Thursday it did so on a definite understanding from the Acting President that the Government required time to go into matters that had arisen on the Tuesday. Yesterday the Acting President informed the Dáil, on the motion for the adjournment, that they would be in a position to make a statement in connection with the reconstruction of the Ministry and whatever other matters arose, and I think we are entitled to have that statement or some explanation as to why that statement should not now be made.
There are three items on the Paper that the President desires to take, apart from financial matters. The first is the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General for the year 1922-23, and that merely involves an order to print the Report presented to the Dáil. The others—Juries Amendment, and the Summer Time Bill—it is stated will not take much time. After that the President could make a statement, and the discussion could be taken until a fixed time, after which there could be an adjournment for lunch, and then the Estimates could be taken.
Yes.
What time shall we fix?
12.30.
May I suggest that fixing a time in that definite way may not be quite satisfactory, because it is impossible to know beforehand what time will be required to discuss a matter of this moment.
That is a matter for the President.
I am agreeable to take it at half-past twelve.
Immediately after the three items I have mentioned?
Yes.