I ask for leave to bring in a Bill to provide for the reorganisation and future regulation of railways in Saorstát Eireann and otherwise to amend the law relating to railways. This is a matter which has been very frequently stressed here in the Dáil and upon which we have been pressed on many occasions to say what is the Government policy. This Bill is fairly exhaustive and very lengthy. Its provisions are very complex, and I do not think it will be necessary for me to say more than that we have proposed in the Bill a system of unification— a unified system for all the railways in the Saorstát, wholly in the Saorstát. I ask for leave to introduce this Bill for this purpose.
PRIVATE BILL. - RAILWAYS BILL, 1924.—FIRST STAGE.
May I ask the President does he intend to include baronial guaranteed railways?
Yes.
I beg to second.
Question put, and agreed to.
The Bill will be ready to circulate this evening. I would like to know when it would be agreeable to take the Second Reading.
I would ask for a good space of time so that we can read this Bill and understand it. Will the President say this day week?
I would ask for a little longer time. This is a matter that concerns the business community, and one would like to consult business people upon it.
I would suggest to the President that he should give us a reasonable time after the Second Reading and before the Committee Stage is taken.
We are very concerned from the point of view of putting in amendments, and we would ask that the time would not be too short for dealing with amendments. No one except people situated like the Government, with their big staff of civil servants, could deal with amendments unless there is sufficient time given after the Second Reading. We should want an interval of not less than a fortnight to deal with amendments. If the Government meet us on the question of amendments we should be prepared to take up the question of the Second Reading in a week.
I would be satisfied to get the Second Reading on Friday week, and that would meet Deputy Good; but it may absorb the whole of Friday and run into another day, and I would be prepared to give a fortnight from that date.
From the conclusion of the Second Stage to the commencement of the Committee?
The conclusion will, I hope, take place before Easter, and there would then, I am sure, be a fortnight's interval.
Bill ordered for Second Reading on Friday (April 11th).