I move:
"In line 2, page 3, after the word ‘Company' to insert the words ‘as set out in the Schedule to this Act.'"
The Bill refers in the Preamble to certain concessions that were granted by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway to the Dublin and South-Eastern Company, and to an agreement which had been entered into between the London, Midland and Scottish and the Great Southern Railway in respect of concessions of a similar kind, but there is nothing in the Bill to show us what the agreement is, only that it is to ensure the same kind of concessions, allowances and advantages as have hitherto been allowed by the London, Midland and Scottish and the Dublin and South Eastern. The amendment is to insert some words to ensure that the agreement should give some details of the concessions, allowances and advantages, so that the Dáil would know what was the worth of these concessions, or what the new company was to be bound to receive, and what the London, Midland and Scottish were bound to give in exchange for the right to appoint a director.
The Minister said that he would make public the terms of the agreement, or, to be more correct, that he believed the terms of the agreement would be made public. An agreement has been circulated to Deputies. The meaning of it, I am sure, is clear enough to the two companies concerned, but I doubt whether any single Deputy, outside Deputy Davin and the Minister, knows anything about the agreement, notwithstanding the fact that it has been placed in our hands. We have not been informed what these concessions, allowances and advantages are, and I think the Dáil is as much in the dark, having this agreement before it, as it was before it was circulated.
The non-publication of the terms of the concessions, allowances and advantages actually given by one company to the other simply means that we are asked to pass this Bill in the dark. It is assumed, provided it is quite satisfactory, and that the two companies agree that it should be quite sufficient for us as a legislative chamber, and to say, "You two companies having agreed on a certain thing, then we are bound in all reason, considering who we are in comparison with these two great companies, to confirm, ratify and implement the agreement they have entered into without any disclosure of its terms."
I had anticipated when putting down this amendment that the Minister would have disclosed the details of these concessions so that we could weigh them and examine them. By accepting this amendment, it will be made imperative that we should have as a schedule the actual terms, value and description of the concessions, allowances and advantages that are referred to in the Preamble. This is with a view to having that complete disclosure and to have on record in the Act, which it is proposed to pass, what the agreement actually involves. Therefore, I move the amendment.