Perhaps I might ask with reference to the motion that appears in my name on the Order Paper as for Friday, 27th, if the President is satisfied that it constitutes a vote of censure in its present form, and if I may take it that it will come on on Friday?
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
The motion has all the appearances of that particular characteristic, and I will be prepared to give time for it on Friday. There are five items on the agenda which, I think, will not occupy very much time, and I propose to take that business at, say, one o'clock on Friday, and to move that we sit late on that day, so as to have it disposed of. I also mean to move that we sit late this evening and take the adjournment at 10 o'clock, so as to dispose of the other motion in the name of Deputy Milroy, which we propose to take at 7 o'clock.
And continue until 10 o'clock?
Yes.
The proposal with regard to the Friday arrangement seems to be rather hard on Deputies who may wish to return to the country in the usual way on Friday evenings.
Did I gather from the President that the only business from 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock would be the motion standing in my name?
Let us fix that first. The President moves that the Dáil sit later than 8.30, and that the motion for adjournment be taken not later than 10 o'clock. He intends, if I understand him aright, to take private business—No. 9 on the Order Paper—at 7 o'clock, and to allow that to continue until 10 o'clock. Will the interval for tea be in private business time or before it?
Before it—about a quarter past six.
In the event of Deputy Milroy's motion being exhausted or of the Dáil being exhausted before 10 o'clock, does the President propose to go on with Estimates until 10 o'clock?
No.
I would like to ask if I would be in order in putting down an amendment to this motion standing in the name of Deputy Mulcahy seeking to obtain publication of the evidence submitted before the Army Committee to the Deputies of the Dáil. Would the President be prepared to accept an amendment on these terms? Would it come within the scope of the motion?
It is my intention to finish the debate at a single sitting, and in that connection I am not in a position to tell the Deputy whether he would be in order or not in putting down an amendment of that sort. I would be in a position to tell the Deputy that that will probably be a second string, and will be accepted as a vote of want of confidence.
The other motion may manage that business all right.
I do not understand the "second string" portion of the President's remark.
We are standing on a vote of no confidence this evening. We shall have a second one by reason of the motion which comes before us on Friday. Now, Deputy Baxter has suggested a third, and I would like if they would all come together, so that we would have the thing settled by Friday.
My point is that my amendment should come second, because I cannot see how Deputy Mulcahy's motion can be disposed of unless my proposition comes first.
The Deputy has an opportunity of putting in a motion on that point. As regards Deputies not being able to get away, I would have no objection, if Deputy Mulcahy so desires and Deputies were agreeable, to give a day next week—Wednesday, if it is so desired—for discussion of this motion if I can see in the meantime that it can be worked in. We have prepared a schedule which will be distributed to Deputies. I was asked to give an early hour by Deputy Cooper to this question, and now it is objected to by reason of the fact that it will run late. I find it rather difficult to meet everybody's view.
Wednesday would put the motion back practically another week. If the motion could not be taken to-morrow, I would ask to have it taken on Tuesday.
I would have no objection to taking it to-morrow. There is only one Bill—the Indemnity Bill— and we can take it to-morrow after we have disposed of that, if it is so desired.
It has been decided, I take it, to dispose of Deputy Milroy's motion this evening. It is suggested now that to-morrow after Questions and after the Indemnity Bill (Committee Stage) has been disposed of that Deputy Mulcahy's motion should be considered for the remainder of the sitting and disposed of. Deputy Baxter has asked me a question as to whether it would be in order to propose, as an amendment to Deputy Mulcahy's motion, that the evidence given before the Army Inquiry Committee should be circulated to Deputies. I take it that is the Deputy's intention.
Yes.
I would like to see the exact form of such an amendment, but on the whole I think it would be in order.
It would be in order, but I may inform the Deputy and you, A Chinn Chomhairle, that that resolution, if carried, will come into effect somewhere about the end of August. I think something like 1,200 pages would have to be printed, and I do not think it would be possible to have it done much sooner than that.
Has the Minister considered it yet?
I have not read the evidence, and I do not intend to do so.
You will not let the Dáil read the report?
They have as much of it as I have.
I take it that it is clear that Deputy Mulcahy's motion will come on to-morrow, and in the interval we will see what the exact form of the proposed amendment is.