I propose to take the following:—Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 5 and 3 on the paper.
Order of Business.
May I ask the President if it is intended to proceed with the remaining stages of the Control of Prices Bill before Friday next?
I think that is the intention.
Deputies
The Control of Prices Bill?
I understand now that that will be postponed until next session.
May I ask the President is he aware of the amount of profiteering that has been and is going on and of the extent to which it was carried on during the recent Eucharistic Congress, and, in view of this would he inform us who is responsible for holding up the further stages of this Bill?
As has been explained already, we could not get it in in the time. As regards the other items mentioned, I have no information.
Are we to understand that there has been an agreement between the Fianna Fáil and Cumann na nGaedheal Parties to hold up the Control of Prices Bill?
That is not an exact statement of the matter. We have a large programme to get through and the position is, in view of the circumstances, that an agreement was made as to how best we could progress. We are anxious to get through all the measures, but it was not possible to get that done.
There has been no agreement, as far as this Party is concerned, to the further holding up of this Bill.
Perhaps it would be possible to postpone Number 4, in order to deal with this?
Before proceeding to Number 1, I should like to know is it the common procedure of this House to have an honourable agreement entered into between parties in order to pass through certain matters, and to have these matters subsequently held up by one individual? We are prepared to sit here till next Christmas if necessary. An honourable agreement was entered into, to which we assented in all its particulars, and I certainly much resent Deputy Davin's suggestion that there has been a conspiracy to hold up legislation.
It has been the experience of the House for many years that agreements cannot be reached properly across the floor of the House in this manner. The Government proposed certain matters to be passed through—which I do not think contained this particular Bill—upon which agreement was entered into. If Deputy Davin has an objection he should make it to his own leader. Deputy Dillon is quite right in what he said.
I should like to confirm the statement just made that the Control of Prices Bill did not appear on the programme presented to us.
I think Deputies ought not to misunderstand Deputy Davin's technique.