I propose to take Numbers 1, 2, 5 and 6, and not to take Private Deputies' Business at 9 o'clock.
Order of Business.
The President has not given any indication as to when he proposes to allow Private Members' Business to be taken. The session is running through, and there are a number of motions and Private Members' Bills on the Order Paper that we want dealt with. No Private Members' Business has been taken this session. There is one Bill here in particular in the name of Deputy Briscoe. If it does not go through this session it will mean that it will be impossible to get poor relief distributed in the City of Dublin during the holiday period.
I explained early in the session that during the period when the Estimates and the Finance Bill would be under consideration I proposed to take Private Members' time. With regard to the question that Deputy Aiken has raised about Deputy Briscoe's Bill, I am in consultation with the Minister for Local Government on that point. I am not yet in a position to make an announcement about it, but I hope to be able to do so within a fortnight.
I do not think the reason given by the President is good enough to warrant him refusing to allow Private Members' time. I doubt if he has the right to refuse to give Deputy Briscoe leave to introduce this Bill. There is a fairly general idea in the minds of Deputies as to what the Bill is likely to contain. Surely it is unprecedented on the part of the Government to refuse to allow the Bill to be printed and let Deputies see what is contained in it. I would encourage Deputy Briscoe to press for his right in this matter. As regards the President taking Private Members' time, I also want to enter a protest. At least time should be allowed for the motion by Deputy Anthony.
I believe that if Deputy Briscoe inquired from the legal members of his Party he would find good reasons for pressing for the introduction of the Bill, so that Deputies might know what is contained in it.
Surely it is not a legal question, but a question of order.
A question of common sense.
The President, if he is in consultation with the Minister for Local Government, must know that the Bill does not contain anything of a contentious nature. It only proposes to increase the number of members on the Dublin Union Committee. In view of the President's promise to give it consideration, and his not giving time for it, I must ask for a division as to whether it shall be taken.
The Deputy is mixing up two things, and so is Deputy Davin. Deputy Davin, I presume has not counted the number of estimates to be considered yet. It is a pretty formidable list—34 estimates. As to the point mentioned by Deputy Briscoe, it does not follow that the presentation of his Bill will solve the question that requires to be solved. The question really is the best method of solving it. I presume it is a solution of the question he requires, and not so much his Bill.
At present you have only five members on this Committee, and they can very seldom get a quorum without great difficulty. Members of that body are going on holidays, and you will have no quorum, so that there will be a cessation of the giving of poor relief in Dublin.
That is the matter which I have said has been under consideration between the Minister for Local Government and myself within the past week. We have had two consultations on it.
There is nothing contentious in the Bill.
It might take a fortnight.
A fortnight to consider whether the number should be five or more.
That is not the point, but the best method of solving the question.
Apart from the question of Deputy Briscoe's right to introduce the Bill, which has been denied to him by the action of the Government, there is also the question whether Private Members are entitled to their time or not. From the beginning of this session the Government have taken Private Members' time on every Parliamentary day on which time is supposed to be allocated to Private Members, and taken it, I believe, without any valid reason. The Estimates were considered last year and the year before and Private Members' time was made available for Deputies. The Government have taken up a rather extraordinary attitude during this session. Not one day have they given to Private Members since the session opened. I certainly think that the issue ought to be definitely fought out as to whether Private Members are entitled to this time or not and whether the Government are entitled to take it without offering any valid reason for so doing.
Might I point out that the President has already given facilities for the introduction of a Private Member's Bill dealing with the licensing of auctioneers. Does he consider that that is more important than making proper provision for the payment of poor relief?
I presume if I spent sufficient time I might be able to get the Deputy to understand the difference between the introduction of a Bill to solve it and the best way of solving it. There is an extraordinary difference.
Question put:—That Government business be not interrupted at nine o'clock for the taking of Private Deputies' business.
The Dáil divided: Tá, 54; Níl, 45.
Tá
- Aird, William P.
- Alton, Ernest Henry.
- Beckett, James Walter.
- Bennett, George Cecil.
- Blythe, Ernest.
- Brennan, Michael.
- Byrne, John Joseph.
- Carey, Edmund.
- Collins-O'Driscoll, Mrs. Margt.
- Dwyer, James.
- Esmonde, Osmond Thos. Grattan.
- Fitzgerald, Desmond.
- Fitzgerald-Kenney, James.
- Good, John.
- Gorey, Denis J.
- Hassett, John J.
- Heffernan, Michael R.
- Hennessy, Thomas.
- Henry, Mark.
- Hogan, Patrick (Galway).
- Holohan, Richard.
- Kelly, Patrick Michael.
- Law, Hugh Alexander.
- Leonard, Patrick.
- Lynch, Finian.
- Mathews, Arthur Patrick.
- McDonogh, Martin.
- Conlon, Martin.
- Connolly, Michael P.
- Cosgrave, William T.
- Craig, Sir James.
- Daly, John.
- Doherty, Eugene.
- Dolan, James N.
- Doyle, Peadar Seán.
- Duggan, Edmund John.
- McFadden, Michael Og.
- Mongan, Joseph W.
- Mulcahy, Richard.
- Nally, Martin Michael.
- O'Connor, Bartholomew.
- O'Donovan, Timothy Joseph.
- O'Hanlon, John F.
- O'Higgins, Thomas.
- O'Leary, Daniel.
- O'Mahony, The.
- O'Reilly, John J.
- O'Sullivan, John Marcus.
- Reynolds, Patrick.
- Roddy, Martin.
- Sheehy, Timothy (West Cork).
- Thrift, William Edward.
- Wolfe, George.
- Wolfe, Jasper Travers.
Níl
- Aiken, Frank.
- Allen, Denis.
- Anthony, Richard.
- Blaney, Neal.
- Boland, Gerald.
- Boland, Patrick.
- Bourke, Daniel.
- Briscoe, Robert.
- Brodrick, Seán.
- Buckley, Daniel.
- Carty, Frank.
- Cassidy, Archie J.
- Clery, Michael.
- Colbert, James.
- Corish, Richard.
- Corry, Martin John.
- Crowley, Tadhg.
- Davin, William.
- Derrig, Thomas.
- De Valera, Eamon.
- Fahy, Frank.
- Flinn, Hugo.
- Fogarty, Andrew.
- French, Seán.
- Gorry, Patrick J.
- Goulding, John.
- Hayes, Seán.
- Jordan, Stephen.
- Kennedy, Michael Joseph.
- Killilea, Mark.
- Kilroy, Michael.
- Maguire, Ben.
- MacEntee, Seán.
- Moore, Séamus.
- Murphy, Timothy Joseph.
- O'Connell, Thomas J.
- O'Kelly, Seán T.
- O'Reilly, Matthew.
- Ruttledge, Patrick J.
- Ryan, James.
- Sexton, Martin.
- Sheehy, Timothy (Tipp.).
- Tubridy, John.
- Walsh, Richard.
- Ward, Francis C.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Duggan and P.S. Doyle; Níl, Deputies G. Boland and Cassidy.
Question declared carried.