I beg to move that the Dáil agree with the Committee in this resolution.
FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS—REPORT. - RESOLUTION 9.
I have received three new amendments to this resolution. They appear on the White Paper, and perhaps by taking them now it may be found that it will not be necessary to consider some of the other amendments which already appear on the Order Paper.
On a point of order, I want to raise a question as to whether these amendments were handed in outside the ordinary time limit for handing in amendments. I inquired at the Office of the Clerk as to the last hour for handing in amendments, and I was told it was 11 o'clock on Monday morning. I handed in my amendments at an earlier hour than that. The amendments that were handed in then were circulated on Wednesday morning, but it was only on yesterday afternoon, and at a fairly late hour, that these amendments appeared. I infer, therefore, that they were not handed in before eleven o'clock on Monday morning. The Standing Orders make no discrimination between Ministers and ordinary Deputies, and the reason I am raising this matter now is to find out whether any privilege is being claimed on behalf of Ministers. Of course, I am aware that under Standing Order 81 you can accept any amendment without notice. I think it is hardly fair to private Deputies that Minister or Parliamentary Secretaries should habitually disregard these Standing Orders, which are set up for the convenience of the whole Dáil, and not merely for the convenience of the Government. Consequently, I think that Ministers should not, when they hand in amendments late, use the amendments of private Deputies and anticipate them.
I handed in an amendment dealing with soda-water syphons. The Parliamentary Secretary hands in an amendment dealing with glass syphons. These are practically my words, because the duty is only to be levied on glass syphons. It is not to be levied on earthenware syphons or on cast-iron or brown paper syphons or any other kind of syphons. It is only on the glass syphons that it is to be levied. I do not suggest that this is a very important matter, and I do not want to stress it, but it is making a bad precedent. I suggest that when there are amendments from Deputies on the Order Paper dealing with matters which Ministers wish to raise, that they would be wiser, and be acting more fairly, if, instead of putting down Government amendments, they would accept those portions of private members' amendments that deal with the points that they wish to adopt. I ask your ruling, A Leas-Chinn Comhairle, as to whether these amendments were handed in in time, and whether, if they were not handed in in time, you rule that they are of urgency.
According to Standing Order 81, it is within the discretion of the Ceann Comhairle to accept amendments without notice.
I agree.
It has also been the procedure here since the Dáil met to take amendments at different stages of a Bill. I, therefore, rule that the amendments are in order.
Might I ask for a very brief statement from the President as to whether the Government are going to make a practice of handing in their amendments late, or whether this is an exceptional instance which will not be repeated frequently. I do not say that it should never be repeated, but I ask that it will not be made a general practice.
I think it has never been a general practice.
No, it has not.
I think we have been particular in accepting our position here in just the same way as we expect ordinary Deputies to accept theirs. But, it is, I think, within the bounds of possibility that for the convenience of the House and for the better expedition of business, occasions may arise on which it may not be possible to take such precautions as would enable us to have particular amendments in in time. In this case, some delay was occasioned through causes which it is not necessary to enter into, and I think that instead of there being an objection that we have, I think, generously met the spirit of the amendments put down by Deputies, and, perhaps, in language which meets the case from the point of view of drafting. If it has occurred that we have presented a particular set of amendments, dealing with the subject matter of the Resolution generally, in a better form than the acceptance of individual amendments would secure, I think there is some justification for that, even at the last moment, and perhaps at a later moment than other Deputies could put down such composite amendments as are on the Order Paper at the present moment. It is not intended, and was never intended, that we should abuse our position as Ministers to get in amendments or to do business here in a way which would interfere with private Deputies' privileges.
I gather from the President's statement that the practice of the Ministerial cuckoo laying an egg in the private members' nest will not be a regular one. I am satisfied.
In connection with the amendments which appear on the White Paper, as there is new matter contained in amendment (c), it will be necessary, I think, to re-commit the resolution for the purpose of considering these amendments.
I move that the resolution be re-committed for the purpose of considering these amendments.
Question put and agreed to.