The business to be taken to-day is the financial business. Number 2 on the Order Paper—Financial Resolutions (Report)—must be concluded before 10-30 to-night. If it be concluded before that time the House will then take Number 1, Detained Animals (Compensation) Bill and Number 4, Dairy Produce (Price Stabilisation) Bill.
Order of Business.
I understand there is an agreement that the financial business arising out of Number 2 on the Order Paper will be completed before 10-30 to-night and that we shall be permitted to re-commit such Resolutions as may be necessary and to submit such amendments as may be necessary between now and 10-30.
I do not know what the Minister for Finance means when he says an agreement has been arrived at. So far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any such agreement. In view of the statement made by the Vice-President, I would like to know what the position will be if the financial business is not finished by 10.30.
We will be in a state of "chassis."
If it meant that we would be getting rid of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance I should be delighted. So far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any agreement having been arrived at to the effect that this business should be finished before 10.30.
There was some discussion within the last few minutes. Members of this Party feel that as the Resolutions would lose their effect and complications would be caused if they were not passed before 10.30 to-night, it is advisable that we should allow the Resolutions to be passed down to Number 26. That Resolution could be taken to-morrow and on Tuesday, if necessary, and on it there could be a discussion covering the subject matter of the other Resolutions for which sufficient time is not available to-day. Of course it is under stood there will be adequate time when we come to the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill to discuss various things in detail.
I do not know anything about this agreement. However, I am not going to oppose any agreement that has been suggested.
I want to make my position clear. I have no intention of obstructing or opposing any Resolutions that it is intended to get through before 10.30. At the same time, I think that each member of the Dáil, so far as it is possible to do so, ought to be consulted on these matters. I quite concede that in relation to certain matters it will not be easy to do that, but at the same time I submit that the rights of individual members of the House ought not to be overlooked by the two big Parties.
I might say that I got delivery of three pages of amendments at ten minutes to three although I was promised them this morning any time after eleven o'clock. Any agreement that has been made, and it must be a nebulous agreement, has been entered into since the business of the House started. Individual members can appraise the courtesy which is extended by the Government, not alone to them, but to other Parties in this House.
I would like to say that there must be no nebulosity as to the statement that these Financial Resolutions must be put through the House by 10.30 to-night.
Even the Vice-President will not intimidate us.
The Deputy will see when 10.30 comes whether he will or not.
I think the Government announcement should be accompanied by a definite assurance that ample time for discussion will be given on the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill. We are asked to pass a multitude of tariffs in Resolution 7 alone. It would take a long time to discuss those tariffs adequately and the only opportunity left to us to do that will be when we come to the Committee Stage of the Finance Bill.
The Deputy can ease his mind on that matter. As much time as will be necessary, even three days, will be given on the Committee Stage.
Can the Vice-President give any undertaking that these Star Chamber methods will not continue after this date?
We should get an undertaking also that if further amendments are to be made, more notice will be given than has been given on the present occasion.
We will at least give as much notice — and that is not saying much — as we used to get from the gentlemen now in opposition when they were in office.
Perhaps the Vice-President will explain what he means by that, so that we may know where we are?
I think the Deputy knows very well what I mean.
I do not think the Vice-President himself knows.
Have the members of the present House to suffer for the sins of the late Government?
Yes.
Any arrangement made to-day should not be limited by the terms of what the Vice-President has announced. The Vice-President mentioned that a period of three days might be given for certain discussion. If an agreement has been made it does not involve any limitation as to ample time for discussion. The period might be three days or even ten days.
It was agreed that three days would be ample. It was suggested that the discussion should not go to six or seven days.
That is true.
Surely there was time to discuss this matter with Parties other than the Cumann na nGaedheal Party?
Mr. Boland
I would like to know where are the other Parties. They all vote the one way. I thought that when I was dealing with the Opposition I was dealing with the whole of them.
It must be remembered that we were elected to this House to represent the people.
I have no doubt the Chief Whip knows his job and, if arrangements were made in respect of this evening, one can well understand that it might not have been possible to get around to every section in the House. I would like, however, to suggest that if arrangements are being made in the future it might contribute to the amenities of the House if the Chief Government Whip would consult with representatives of the other Parties.
Any two members of the House might get together and constitute themselves a Party. Is it expected that they are then to be recognised as such and that they are to have the same facilities as exist between the two big Parties? I may mention that occasionally these facilities help to eliminate an enormous amount of work. Is it to be expected that any two members who get together and call themselves a Party should have the same consideration? If there are Independent groups, perhaps they could elect one person to represent them with whom discussions could be carried on. That might be an advisable course.
The Chair is not in a position to discuss that now. I might point out that a good deal of time, which might otherwise be devoted to financial business, is being lost.
I would like to point out that it is not so much a question of Parties. We were elected here to represent the country, each Deputy for his own particular constituency. We were elected just the same as Deputy Briscoe.
Deputy Morrissey must not forget that he voted here for the closure.
I never voted for the closure.
The Deputy voted for the Public Safety Bill.
I did.
That was closure enough.
It was not a closure.
Can we have an undertaking that these Star Chamber proceedings will cease after this date? If so, I will be satisfied. There were handed to us at 3 o'clock to-day very important amendments and some of them refer to matters with which I am intimately concerned.
They deal with the production of books and other things. I suggest that there are numbers of people interested in the cultural life of our cities, towns and villages who are very much concerned with these amendments. I take it, sir, that you, too, are concerned with Irish culture. These are very important amendments, and we would like to have an opportunity of considering them. I do not think it is fair to put them into our hands at five minutes to 3 o'clock. I hope that such methods will cease, and that in future when important amendments come before us we will get an opportunity to consider them.