As the Finance Bill is under discussion in the Seanad, I would like to suggest that the House should take the Fisheries Estimate and at 8 o'clock it should be interrupted for, say, three quarters of an hour or so. I would like to reply to some of the questions that have been raised. I would not take more than half an hour, or if it were interrupted for an hour, there could be another speaker or two, if desired, on the Finance Estimate. Then I could reply. The Seanad debate is actually in progress.
Financial Business. - Order of Business.
When does the Minister propose to circulate the Appropriation Bill?
This evening. It is only a formal Bill, of course.
Is the proposal that at the same time the discussion on the Estimate for the Minister for Finance is taken the Bill is to be under discussion or immediately afterwards?
No. This is a question of Estimates. The Vote under discussion was the office of the Minister for Finance at which the Minister desires to be present. He cannot now be present, but the debate has gone on for some time and he suggests that at some suitable hour, such as eight o'clock, he should be given an opportunity of answering some of the points raised in Vote No. 5. If he takes half an hour and a division takes place, that will be 40 minutes.
I understand that. Does not this motion make it necessary to take the stages of the Appropriation Bill before 10 o'clock? What we want to know is what time we will have for the discussion of the Appropriation Bill if the arrangement which the Minister suggests holds?
At any time before 10, but no discussion after 10.
If the discussion on the Appropriation Bill arises before 10 o'clock it can be taken, not afterwards.
There are members on our side who wish to discuss the Appropriation Bill.
Can we have an understanding that we will wind up the ordinary Estimate business at 8 o'clock? That would give two hours.
As a matter of fact, I could, if the Dáil were agreeable, make any reply I want to make to the discussion that has gone on on the Finance Estimate, perhaps in introducing the Second Stage of the Appropriation Bill. That would mean that if the Fisheries or other Estimates were continued until 8 o'clock and then finished, the Appropriation Bill would have two hours.
The only way in which the Appropriation Bill could be discussed would be to take it some time before 10, so that the Minister's suggestion could be carried out.
I think it better to adopt the suggestion of the President, that the Minister for Finance should come back from the Seanad at 7 o'clock and deal with his own Estimate. I do not think that we should mix it up with the Appropriation Bill at all.
There is just a possibility that we may not be able to finish the Fisheries Estimate at 8 o'clock. On our side of the House there is a considerable desire to discuss that Estimate fully. In view of that, I think it would be better to adopt the suggestion made by the President that the Minister for Finance should come back and deal with his own Estimate and then allow the proceedings on the Fisheries Estimates to be resumed.
That is the President's or the Minister's suggestion, that when the Minister replies on his Estimate, debate on the other outstanding Votes should be resumed.
I take it what the President meant was that the Minister would come back and deal with his own Estimate.
If the other Estimates are finished it will give two hours to the Appropriation Bill.
We agree.
That means that the Fisheries Estimate must be concluded at a certain time.
We may not require the two hours for the Appropriation Bill.
There will be no debate after ten o'clock.
I know that, but we want the Bill to be taken at a sufficiently early hour.
I do not want Deputies to be under any misunderstanding later. Assuming the two matters which the Deputies want to discuss are the Fisheries Estimate and the Appropriation Bill, the time will have to be divided between them.
We want to hear the reply of the Minister for Finance on his own Vote apart from the Appropriation Bill.