I see amongst the Bills in progress on the Order Paper the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1932, and I understand now that this Bill will be before the House on Thursday. If I understand rightly the Dáil will not sit to-morrow and that means that we will get the Housing Bill on Thursday morning and proceed to consider it forthwith. If that is the position I certainly object to it. I think we ought at least have two days to consider the Bill before the Second Reading Stage. If that is the position I object to it.
Eucharistic Congress. - Business of the Dáil.
That is not the position.
The Housing Bill will not be taken on Thursday. I understand there is agreement to take the Finance (Customs Duties) (No. 2) Bill, to-day.
I move: That the Order of Friday, 17th June, for the taking of the Fourth Stage of the Finance (Customs Duties) (No. 2) Bill, 1932, on Thursday, 30th June, be discharged, and that the Fourth Stage of the Bill be taken to-day.
Agreed.
Is there any prospect of getting agreement to terminate the Report Stage of this Bill in an hour? There was an agreement to terminate the Committee Stage on Friday, the 17th June, and to dispose of the amendments by 2 p.m. that day. The amendments had not been disposed of and all these amendments have been put down again for the Report Stage. This is a departure from the agreement then made. I will not press that point, if we get agreement now to terminate the Report Stage in an hour.
There are the usual channels through which to make proposals of that sort and I deprecate any departure from established precedent in that connection. May I say that I do not accept the statement that, on Friday, the 17th June, there was an understanding that the Committee Stage of the Bill then in progress would be taken with amendments by 2 p.m. I think that statement has been challenged by Deputy McGilligan and I think it is unwise and imprudent to introduce a discordant note such as that, especially when one is looking for a concession.
I should like to point out that some of the official amendments were only received by Deputies on Saturday morning, so I do not know how we were to finish on Friday. There was a very important official amendment which I only received on Saturday morning and I have put down an amendment to it.
With reference to Deputy Cosgrave's statement as to departure from precedent, I should like to say that on last Thursday week I spoke to Deputy McGilligan and pointed out to him that they had agreed to finish the Second Reading of the Finance (Customs Duties) (No. 2) Bill, and to take the Committee Stage and complete it on Friday, and that as they were prolonging the debate on the Second Reading of the Finance Bill that did not mean that the amendments would be put off to the Report Stage. I tried to see Deputy McGilligan to-day and I was told the best thing to do would be to have the matter settled here in the House.
I was in my office to-day from 11 to 1.30 p.m. and I was not approached on the matter of the Order of Business. I understand somebody was approached but it was at 1.45 p.m. We must have business methods here.
Mr. Boland
Then if we are to have business methods here I would like to know with whom to deal?
With whom did the Deputy deal?
Mr. Boland
With Deputy Mulcahy.
Deputy Mulcahy has not been in this morning as he was ill. I have been in my office this morning from 11.30 to 1 p.m., and no application came from Deputy Boland's Department on this matter.
Mr. Boland
There was an agreement made and the breach of that agreement has not been on our part. The amendments now put down on the Report Stage are the amendments that were carried over from the Committee Stage. I do not think that is keeping the agreement.
But none of these amendments was discussed at all.
Mr. Boland
There was an agreement made.
That statement has been challenged.
Mr. Boland
It was agreed that we should have the two Bills finished on Friday, and I now find that the amendments are down again.
It is only right to say that I think Deputy Boland's memory betrayed him when he said that nobody objected. Deputy Cosgrave said that Deputy McGilligan objected. He did object. He rose and said that the agreement made with the Cumann na nGaedheal Whip did not extend to the Report Stage and that they reserved their right under the agreement to carry them over on the Report Stage. I know that Deputy McGilligan did say that.