I should like to know whether I would be entitled to move that the House sit later than 11 p.m. to-night—whether it is in order for a private Deputy to do that?
SITTING OF DÁIL.
What Standing Order do you propose to move under?
I am simply asking for information as to whether I would be entitled to move it.
Standing Order 20 says:
A motion that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. on any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, or 4.30 p.m. on Fridays may be made without notice, and not later than 6.30 p.m. on the former days, or 2 p.m. on the latter. Such motion shall appoint the hour at which business is to be interrupted. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the motion may be made only by a Minister.
The Deputy would, therefore, not be in order.
I understand we are not entitled to move that the House sit to-night after 11 p.m. Might I suggest to the Minister, having regard to the urgency of the amount of work ahead of us, especially having regard to the fact that there has been circulated the story that due to pressure of work owing to the Constitution Bills we are unable to implement the promise which was made to the people of the country that an Evil Literature Bill would be introduced and dealt with at once, that he should be prepared to-day to move that we do sit to such a time not later than 8 a.m. tomorrow morning?