The order of business will be taken as on the Order Paper, Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive; then Nos. 12, 14, and 7 to 11, inclusive. Public business will be interrupted at 9 o'clock to take private Deputies' business, and if the public business, as ordered, be finished before 9 o'clock, private Deputies' time will then be taken. If business, as ordered, be finished to-day, the Dáil will adjourn until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11th.
Order of Business.
Will the President not consider sitting to-morrow in order to wipe off the enormous accumulation of private members' motions?
Of course, if there is a wish on the part of private Deputies to do so, I am quite prepared to facilitate them.
How can that be ascertained?
I can only ascertain it from the Whips of the other Parties.
Could the President say whether any attempt has been made by his Parliamentary Secretary to consult the convenience of the Whips of the various Parties on this matter?
I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary is always available if there are any representations made to him. That is the usual course, I think.
Can the President say whether any arrangement has been arrived at between the Parliamentary Secretary and the chief Opposition Whip with regard to the adjournment to-day?
That I could not say.
May I respectfully point out that representations could not have been made to the Parliamentary Secretary on that matter before this and before the House was aware that we were proposing to adjourn till next week? I would suggest to the Parliamentary Secretary that he should busy himself this afternoon and ascertain whether it would not be welcome to the members of the House to sit to-morrow in order to try to wipe out this accumulation of motions.
In this connection, may I point out that business may not be completed this evening. As to the matter of the private Deputies' time, some of the Motions on the Order Paper are in the names of Deputies who are not present, and it is possible, therefore, that the debate on these motions might collapse.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary has sufficient experience to know that if a Deputy, who has a Motion on the Order Paper, does not turn up to move his motion, that motion is passed by and another motion taken. I would respectfully suggest to the President that every reasonable facility should be accorded to private members, and I would point out that public business has been given priority for a very long period here in this House. I would suggest that it would be desirable to sit to-morrow in order to suit the convenience of private members who are entitled to have time afforded to them here in the House.
Very well. I shall have the matter examined by the Parliamentary Secretary.
Hear, hear!