Vol. 33 No. 17
I move:—
That the Committee of Selection nominate five Deputies to represent the Dáil at the Conference with members representing the Seanad upon amendment No. 6 made by the Seanad to the Game Preservation Bill, 1929, to which the Dáil has agreed with an amendment, viz., the deletion of sub-section (5) of the proposed new section, and upon which the Seanad has decided to insist in its original form.
Five is a rather awkward number, as it only allows for two from the larger Parties and one from the Labour Party, thus leaving the Independent Party out. We have raised this question before, as we think it leaves us out of the question altogether.
The Deputies should get a big Party.
The figure five in this case is what comes to us from the Seanad, and we are asked to agree to their suggestion. This is not so much a Committee of the Dáil as a conference between Seanad members and members of the Dáil. It is not quite the same thing as a Committee of the Dáil itself to discuss a matter and report to the Dáil. Any alteration in the number would require another Message to the Seanad.
I agree with the Deputy, but this has come from the Seanad. We had decided a long time ago that five was a figure which could not remain if we were to give representation to the different parties. We had agreed that in arriving at a figure six was the least number, as it would give representation to the different parties in proportion to their representation in the Dáil. This is the result of a resolution, however, which came from the Seanad.
