I move for leave to introduce a Bill entitled "an Act to make provision for the formation and registration of a company having for its principal objects the acquirsition, erection, and operation of sugar factories in Saorstát Eireann, and to provide for the acquisition by the Minister for Finance of share capital of such company, for the giving of guarantees by the State in relation to debentures issued by such company, for the compulsory acquisition of land and the construction, maintenance, and operation of transport works by such company, and for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid."
Sugar Manufacture Bill, 1933—First Stage.
I should like to know from the Minister does this Bill in any way interfere with what was done last week, that is, that we are not committed in any way to more than the loss of £15,000 passed as a Supplementary Estimate last week?
Is it in order to make that statement?
The Minister will remember that the House was wondering, and wondering more and more during the discussion on the Estimate, and that he expressly stated that there would be no commitment on the House except the £15,000 that was then being voted, until we had time to review the matter when legislation was being introduced in the autumn.
Oh, no. The undertaking I gave was that the House would not be committed until the Government proposals were definitely put forward. This Bill contains these proposals in definitive form and, if the House passes these proposals, then the House will be committed to the programme on the basis of the proposals contained in the Bill.
Is this Bill now being introduced in the absence of any examination or report following on what was said last week?
Leave granted to introduce the Bill.
Second Stage ordered for Wednesday, the 19th July.
May we ask when the Bill will be circulated?
The Bill will be circulated, probably, on Saturday.
I think that is unsatisfactory in view of the difficulty the House has had in getting information. This Bill, so far as we know, commits us to the expenditure of a very large sum of money and, if the Second Reading is to be taken on Wednesday next and the Bill to be circulated on Saturday, it means that the country Deputies will not have the Bill in their hands until Monday at the earliest, which does not give them adequate time for the proper examination of the Bill.
Might I ask how many sections are there in the Bill?
There will probably be 11. I do not think that there is any substance in the point raised by Deputy Mulcahy. He has already adverted to the fact that the House had the benefit of a prolonged preliminary discussion on this matter when the Estimate was before them.
What the House had the benefit of was a long attempt to drag information from the Minister.
The Deputy might occasionally let me get a word in. I was saying that the House had the benefit, often denied it in regard to matters of much greater importance, of having a preliminary discussion on this Bill with all the factors which the House would have to take into consideration in considering the proposals clearly before them. The fact that we are giving notice at this early stage of the Bill will give Deputies who may be down the country an opportunity of refreshing their minds by referring to the debate and seeing what points they might make against the Bill. I submit that in view of the fact that the preliminary discussion has already taken place, there is no hardship in having the principle of the Bill debated on Wednesday week. The Committee Stage will, of course, be taken after due notice.
I should like to draw attention to the fact that when there was an attempt to raise the question of the principle of this Bill on the Estimates the Minister threw his hands in the air and said: "Let us not discuss the general principle; the House is being committed to nothing at this juncture; let us postpone the discussion of the general principle until a later stage", and, with due deference to the Minister for Finance, nobody discussed the general principle of sugar beet manufacture in the country on the Estimate, because he assured the House that we were committed to nothing, and that there would be ample opportunity to discuss it on the Bill. Now we are going to get the Bill on Monday or perhaps on Tuesday——
No.
On Monday morning, and we are to discuss it on Wednesday. If it is a short Bill, I suppose it can be done, but what is all the hurry about?
I will say Thursday week if that will suit Deputy Mulcahy.
Can the Minister say on what date the general election will take place?
If it is to be due to any action of the Deputy's Party, I am afraid not until Tibb's Eve.
Second Stage ordered for Thursday, 20th July.