Sé an chéad ghnó eile atá le déanamh ag an nDáil, ná Ceann Comhairle do thogha.
The next business is the election of Ceann Comhairle.
Election of Ceann Comhairle.
An Cleireach
Tairgim go dtoghfar Proinnsias O Fathaigh agus go dteighe sé i gCeannas na Dála anois mar Cheann Comhairle.
Donnchadh O hAllamhain
Cuidighim leis sin.
We propose to divide the Dáil on this nomination, not on personal grounds, but on the broad principle that it is a departure from the scheme sanctioned by the Constitution (Amendment No. 2) Act. The Act provided that the Deputy who was Ceann Comhairle at the date of the Dissolution should be returned without election to the new Dáil. Its object, as most Deputies are aware, was to provide for continuity in the office of Ceann Comhairle, and, for that purpose, to have available for the incoming Dáil the services of the Presiding Officer of the previous House. We believe that is a sound plan, making for uniformity in practice and procedure, and conducing to efficiency in the conduct and despatch of the business submitted to the House. For these reasons, and as we are strongly of the opinion that the presidency of this House should not be determined by the varying changes of political fortune, I am moving that Deputy Michael Hayes do now take the Chair as Ceann Comhairle.
I beg to second.
Ní aontuím leis an méid adubhairt an tUachtarán.
As one who has sat for five years in this House without any Party affiliations, under the presidency of Deputy Hayes, I must say that this is a departure from precedent which I certainly did not expect would be attempted on the occasion of the nomination of the Ceann Comhairle of this House. I do not think that there will be any personal feeling in this matter. I must say that from my experience a more efficient and more courteous Chairman I never sat under than Deputy Hayes. I think that would represent the views of all those who have had experience of the chairmanship of Deputy Hayes. I hold also that it was not Deputy Michael Hayes who was returned unopposed for the National University. I think it is perfectly evident that it was the Ceann Comhairle of this Dáil who was elected. While it is quite evident that we are going to have a change of Government, I think it is making a bad start if we seek to destroy a well-established precedent of this House, a precedent which has worked admirably in other Houses of a similar kind. I find myself compelled, by reason of my experience in this House, to vote for the re-election of Deputy Hayes in preference to the nominee who has been proposed for the consideration of the House.
I would like to say a few words in reply to the statement made by President Cosgrave. He mentioned that it was for the purpose of having continuity in the office of Ceann Comhairle that the Act he referred to was passed. In my opinion it was not for the purpose of continuity but rather because of the exceptional position that the Ceann Comhairle occupies here. It was felt that because of his official position in the House he could not do the work that an ordinary Deputy has to do when looking after the interests of his constituency. That work is taken out of the Ceann Comhairle's hands. It was thought at the time that it would be a good idea to have the Ceann Comhairle, whoever he would be, re-elected unanimously. That may or may not have been a good idea. If we were discussing that legislation again, we might have certain suggestions to submit on that point, and some of them might not be found to be in agreement with the views of those who passed that Act. It is not that we object to continuity. There are other reasons,—I think they should be obvious and very likely in the memories of Deputies of all sides in this House— why this motion is made to-day. I will not say anything further. I think everybody realises why we are forced into this position. We made our position quite clear in the last Parliament, and it is for those reasons that our motion is now submitted.
As one who was closely in touch with the Chair and the duties of the Chair during the lifetime of the last Dáil, I am sorry it is now thought fit to make a change. I would be very sorry if we were to understand from the proposal made here to-day that for the future we are to look upon the position of Ceann Comhairle as a purely political position and that every time there is a change of Government there is going to be a change of Ceann Comhairle. I do not think that would be for the good of this House and it would not lead to having the business of the House conducted in the best spirit and in the most impartial way.
I want to make it quite clear that I am not offering any personal objection to the Deputy proposed by Deputy G. Boland. I believe that he would fill the position quite as well as any other member of this House. From my experience of the duties of the Chair, and of the way in which the Ceann Comhairle has to attend to his business, and from the impartial manner in which that work has been carried out, I think it is a mistake to make any change.
It would be a bad thing for the House if in future the Ceann Comhairle were to be appointed purely on a political basis. It is not advisable that on every occasion when we have a change of Government we should also have a change of Ceann Comhairle. That is all I wish to say on the matter. I am sorry a change has been suggested. I think it will be found that it will not lead to the carrying out of the business of the House in a good way, and I hope we will keep that in mind.
Question put: "That Deputy Frank Fahy be elected and do now take the Chair of the Dáil as Ceann Comhairle."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 78; Níl, 71.
Tá
- Aiken, Frank
- Allen, Denis
- Bartley, Gerald
- Beegan, Patrick
- Blaney, Neal
- Boland, Gerald
- Boland, Patrick
- Bourke, Daniel
- Brady, Bryan
- Brady, Seán
- Breathnach, Cormac
- Breen, Daniel
- Briscoe, Robert
- Browne, William Frazer
- Carney, Frank
- Carty, Frank
- Clery, Mícheál
- Colbert, James
- Cooney, Eamonn
- Corish, Richard
- Corry, Martin John
- Crowley, Fred. Hugh
- Crowley, Tadhg
- Curran, Patrick Joseph
- Davin, William
- Derrig, Thomas
- De Valera, Eamon
- Maguire, Conor Alexander
- Moane, Edward
- Moore, Séamus
- Moylan, Seán
- Murphy, Patrick Stephen
- Murphy, Timothy Joseph
- Norton, William
- O'Grady, Seán
- O'Kelly, Seán Thomas
- O'Reilly, Matthew
- O'Reilly, Thomas J.
- O'Rourke, Daniel
- Dowdall, Thomas P.
- Everett, James
- Flinn, Hugo V.
- Flynn, John
- Flynn, Stephen
- Fogarty, Andrew
- Geoghegan, James
- Gibbons, Seán
- Gormley, Francis
- Gorry, Patrick Joseph
- Goulding, John
- Harris, Thomas
- Hayes, Seán
- Hogan, Patrick (Clare)
- Humphreys, Francis
- Jordan, Stephen
- Kelly, James Patrick
- Kennedy, Michael Joseph
- Keyes, Raphael Patrick
- Kilroy, Michael
- Kissane, Eamonn
- Lemass, Seán F.
- Little, Patrick John
- Lynch, James B.
- McEllistrim, Thomas
- MacEntee, Seán
- Maguire, Ben
- Powell, Thomas P.
- Rice, Edward
- Ruttledge, Patrick J.
- Ryan, James
- Ryan, Robert
- Sexton, Martin
- Sheehy, Timothy
- Sheridan, Michael
- Smith, Patrick
- Traynor, Oscar
- Walsh, Richard
- Ward, Francis C. (Dr.)
Níl
- Alton, Ernest Henry
- Anthony, Richard
- Beckett, James Walter
- Bennett, George Cecil
- Blythe, Ernest
- Bourke, Séamus A.
- Brasier, Brooke
- Broderick, William Jos.
- Brodrick, Seán
- Burke, Patrick
- Byrne, Alfred
- Byrne, John Joseph
- Coburn, James
- Collins-O'Driscoll, Mrs. Margt.
- Conlon, Martin
- Cosgrave, William T.
- Craig, Sir James
- Davis, Michael
- Desmond, William
- Dillon, James M.
- Dockrell, Henry Morgan
- Doherty, Eugene
- Doyle, Peadar Seán
- Duggan, Edmund John
- Esmonde, Osmond Grattan
- Finlay, Thomas A.
- Fitzgerald, Desmond
- Good, John
- Gorey, Denis John
- Hassett, John J.
- Hennessy, Thomas
- Hennigan, John
- Hogan, Patrick (Galway)
- Keating, John
- Keogh, Myles
- Kiersey, John
- Lynch, Finian
- MacDermot, Frank
- McDonogh, Fred
- MacEoin, Seán
- McGilligan, Patrick
- McMenamin, Daniel
- Minch, Sydney B.
- Mongan, Joseph W.
- Morrissey, Daniel
- Mulcahy, Richard
- Murphy, James Edward
- Myles, James Sproule
- Nally, Martin
- O'Brien, Eugene P.
- O'Connor, Batt.
- O'Donovan, Timothy Joseph
- O'Hanlon, John F.
- O'Hara, Patrick
- O'Higgins, Thomas Francis
- O'Leary, Daniel
- O'Mahony, The
- O'Neill, Eamonn
- O'Reilly, John Joseph
- O'Shaughnessy, John Joseph
- O'Sullivan, Gearóid
- O'Sullivan, John Marcus
- Redmond, William Archer
- Reidy, James
- Reynolds, Mrs. Mary
- Roddy, Martin
- Shaw, Patrick Walter
- Thrift, William Edward
- Vaughan, Daniel
- White, John
- Wolfe, Jasper Travers
Tellers:—Tá: Deputies G. Boland and Allen; Níl: Deputies Duggan and Doyle.
Question declared carried.
Whereupon the Deputies present rose in their places and remained standing while the Ceann Comhairle proceeded to the Dais.
Standing beside the Chair, the Ceann Comhairle, addressing the Dáil, said:—
Is mór an onóir liom gur toghadh mar Cheann Comhairle na Dála mé. Déanfá mé mo dhícheall chun na dualgaisí a bhaineas leis an bpost san do chólíonadhagus obair na Dála do stiúradh mar ba chóir agus cothrom na féinne do thabhairt do gach Páirtí agus do gach Teachta. Tá súil agam, in ainneoin na vótála a deineadh cúpla neomat o shoin, go bhfagha mé cabhair agus congnamh ó gach taobh den Tigh. Táim fíorbhuidheach díbh, a Chó-Theachtaí.