Before proceeding with the Orders of the Day, I would like to draw attention to the fact that the Dairy Produce Bill, 1924, Second Stage, down in the Orders for the Day as No. 2, has not yet reached the Deputies. With regard to the Enforcement of Law (Occasional Powers) Bill, 1924, from the Seanad and the four amendments attached to it, I have to point out that the notice received this morning was the first intimation we have had of these amendments. In the time since, it is, I think, impossible to look up the Bill to see what effect those amendments would have on it, and I suggest that it would be better not to take this item until we have had some time to examine what the effects of the alterations caused by these amendments would be.
QUESTION ON ADJOURNMENT. - MATTERS OF PROCEDURE.
The Dairy Produce Bill cannot be taken to-day, as the Bill has not yet been circulated.
It has not been circulated, and will not be in the hands of the Deputies until some time to-day. I propose to ask the Dáil to adjourn its consideration until Wednesday next.
I would ask the Minister to postpone it until Thursday if possible and if convenient.
Mr. HOGAN
Of course, the Dáil will see the obvious advantages of considering this Bill as soon as possible, and also the possible chance of delay later on, which we cannot foresee now.
I can give the Minister a reason why I want the Bill postponed until Thursday. It is a Party one. My reason is that we will not have an opportunity of considering the Bill as a Party if it is brought on for Second Reading on Wednesday.
Mr. HOGAN
I will look into the matter.
With regard to the Dairy Produce Bill, the Order will be discharged to-day, and the Bill will be taken on Thursday next. With regard to the Enforcement of Law Bill from the Seanad, the amendments were received yesterday, and were not circulated until to-day.
The amendments are not of any great substance, and I think that speaking to them I will be able to make their effect quite clear. I would deprecate any further delay with this Bill, which is so very necessary.
That may be quite true, but we are entitled to examine for ourselves the effects of these amendments.
The position in which I am placed with regard to amendments in the Seanad is this: when we receive a Message from the Seanad, containing the amendments passed in the Seanad to any Bill, under the Standing Orders, these amendments are put down on the Orders of the Day for the next sitting of the Dáil. These were received yesterday. They are on the Order Paper to-day. They need not be considered to-day. The notice is given in this way.
As a matter of information, does the onus lie on the staff of the Seanad to send back a Bill with amendments, if any, immediately after the Bill is disposed of?
I have no information as to what time limit they have. The onus lies on us to publish them immediately we receive them. Will the Enforcement of Law Bill be taken to-day then?
I suppose opportunity will have to be taken when the motion is moved, but I object to taking this to-day.
With regard to the rest of the business, Mr. President——
Before the President makes a statement with regard to the rest of the business, may I briefly call attention to the item that has appeared on a number of Orders of the Day for some time past, and that is No. 12, the Estimates. I think there has been a suggestion—a rumour of it has reached me, at any rate—that there might be some days of the week set aside for Estimates alone. Might I suggest that that would be a desirable course to adopt in order that some progress may be made with the Estimates, and that they may not be left and scamped at the last moment?
I would propose to take the Order Paper in the order in which the different items are set out. As regards the other question raised by Deputy Figgis, it may be necessary, if we are to consider the Estimates, to have certain days allotted for them and that we should ask the Dáil either to sit later each evening or for an extra day in the week. The other matters that are down on the order paper for each day are, in our opinion, of such a pressing nature as not to warrant any interruption in their progress. I would ask permission to make a short statement at about 1.30, on the peculiar information that is disclosed in one of the papers to-day.
The President could not make it now?
No, I am not in a position to make it yet.
That means that the President will make a statement at 1.30. The Order Paper will be followed out, but of course private business will come on at 2 o'clock. The President proposes at 1.30, by the leave of the Dáil, to make a statement with regard to a certain matter which has appeared in a daily paper. What is that statement about?
It is in connection with the Army. There is an article in the Independent this morning which I cannot describe as having been inserted from any but malevolent and anti-State motives.
Might I ask the President if he will consult the Committee on Procedure, or at any rate, Deputies representing different parts of the House, as to the business that is likely to be brought forward between now and the 4th of July? Whether that date has been thrown overboard or not I do not know, but we are having a succession of new Bills coming forward, and we have not reached the Estimates yet. Unless the President proposes that we should sit night and day for seven days per week I do not see how it is possible to get through the business, and I think it would be in the interests of the Dáil as a whole to have some information regarding the business.
May I supplement that by drawing attention again to the Estimates. Surely it is obvious that if we are going to adjourn on the 4th of July, and if the present procedure were to be continued the Estimates would be quite sufficient to absorb all the time between now and then, if they are to receive adequate attention. One of the main businesses of the Dail is to give attention to the Estimates. Whatever matters are coming on surely they cannot be so important and so pressing as to thrust aside the proper consideration of the Estimates?
The 4th July has not been thrown overboard, but I think it has gradually slipped overboard.
In that case will the President indicate the date, say within a week, when he hopes to have the adjournment?
Yes, I will endeavour to have that information by this day week.
Might I ask if there is any prospect of taking up the Intoxicating Liquor Bill next week, or is any date given for that?
That has slipped overboard.
I sympathise with the Deputy. I think that it is a hardship to an important section in the community that their interests have been postponed owing to such trifling matters as the Railways Bill, and other measures. I am not responsible for the delay.
The President, of course, is aware that there is a limit to the time during which he must take the Estimates. How does he propose to take them?
I will not be in a position to say until next week. If we had the closure we could certainly allot a certain time to each Bill. Some Bills have taken far longer than was ever anticipated, and the alternative, if we mean an early adjournment, is either to extend the number of sittings in the week or extend the length of each sitting.
Does the Minister suggest that any unreasonable amount of time has been taken up with these Bills?
I have not said so.
Would the President consider the advisability of getting the Committee on Procedure to draw up a time-table on which all Parties would agree? That is the only way you can possibly get through the business in the proper time.
I beg to enter a protest to that. It would be absolutely useless for the Committee on Procedure to draw up a time-table. It would not be kept. I would not be a party to drawing up any time-table, and I am the Chairman of the Committee on Procedure.
Might I suggest to the President that in any case one day a week should be set aside for the Estimates, without any other work impinging on that one day except the consideration of the Estimates? Then there would be an assurance that progress would be made with the Estimates.
That is a melancholy but substantial reflection with regard to the time that we have on hands.