It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper from No. 2 to No. 25 inclusive, No. 23 to be taken after No. 18 and No. 1 to be taken in its appropriate place. If public business is concluded before 10.30 p.m., Private Deputies' business will then be taken up. The Dáil will adjourn to-night until 10.30 on to-morrow, Friday.
Order of Business.
A question has arisen as to the time to be allowed for the Adjournment Debate. The Government have been asked to allow four hours for the Adjournment Debate. That would mean that the whole time to-morrow would be taken up by that debate and there has been some sort of suggestion that there might be cooperation from all sides of the House to finish the business on the Order Paper so as to allow the motions for Private Members' time standing in the names of Deputy Norton and Deputy Hogan to be concluded to-night. It would be very desirable that the House should have some kind of common understanding in the matter, if that arrangement were to be observed, so that the whole of to-morrow would be available for the Adjournment Debate.
Mr. Hogan
Before the Vice-President replies, I should like to point out that, in regard to the motion standing in my name, time is the very essence of the matter. I should like that a sufficient opportunity should be afforded me to make my case and to some member of the Government to reply before we adjourn for two or three months.
I take it that if no time is available for resuming the discussion on Private Members' motions this evening that we shall take Private Members' time at 12 o'clock to-morrow as usual.
That is the very matter on which I understood there was an arrangement.
What was the arrangement?
As explained by Deputy Mulcahy—an understanding.
In the discussions that were going on I was led to hope that there was an arrangement like that. I think before business starts here, if there is such an arrangement definitely arrived at, it would be well if the House accepted it. That is why I raise the point now.
I do not know of any arrangement, but I am quite willing to accommodate Deputy Hogan in respect of his motion by allowing him, with the permission of the House, to move his motion before resuming the discussion on the unemployment assistance motion. Possibly Deputy Hogan's motion will be disposed of in approximately an hour. We could then resume discussion on the other Private Member's motion.
Is it agreed that to-morrow will be left clear for the motion on the adjournment?
No—not unless the two Private Members' motions on the Order Paper are disposed of.
Is there anything against the House sitting next week or the week after to dispose of those questions?
Dr. Ryan
Nothing.
The reason I raise this matter at all is because of the fact that on previous occasions when arrangements were made between the two big Parties in the House they seemed to forget that there are other Members here, who are Independent, and that we may claim the right to speak on those matters. I was told on at least one of the occasions that an arrangement had been entered into. I wanted to make it quite clear that I do intend to speak on at least two motions, one being the motion put down by Deputy Norton and his colleagues, and the other by Deputy Hogan. There is also, according to Press reports, a motion put down in the name of Deputy Cosgrave, and another by Deputy Norton dealing with unemployment. I think it would certainly take longer than to-morrow to dispose of those matters, so I want to have my position made quite clear now in order that there will be no suggestion that I raised the matter at the last moment.
I would suggest that an effort be made to clear the business on the Order Paper, and then see about to-morrow.
I sympathise entirely with Deputy Anthony's view, as I am sure does the Vice-President. Deputies should be given an abundant opportunity of expressing their views. To-morrow is designed by the Government to be the concluding day of the Session, if it can be so arranged. Could not everybody have an opportunity of saying what they want to say, on all the matters before the House, if we arranged to sit to-morrow until the business was concluded; to abstain from rising at two o'clock, and to go on sitting through the day until business was concluded? I think if we did that, we might not find it necessary to sit far beyond two o'clock, but everybody would feel that they had plenty of time if they wanted to go on in session, and we could wind up the session's business without returning here next week. Might I make that suggestion to the Vice-President? That would acquit both of the principal Parties in the House of any desire whatever to restrict discussion on the part of anybody else.
It is very difficult to reach these arrangements in the House. I suggest that they might be arrived at through the usual channels, and that we should get on with to-day's business.
It is very hard to get important public business done in a proper way if we are restricted in the matter of time, and if discussions cannot be brought to a conclusion outside the House which will meet the various Members, like Deputy Norton, Deputy Anthony and some others, who take a serious interest in some of the business before the House.
Mr. Hogan
Could we have the arrangement suggested by Deputy Norton, that my motion be taken before Deputy Norton's motion? It will not take more than an hour. It will not take me more than 20 minutes to make my case. I do not know how long it will take a member of the Government to reply, but it will not take me more than 20 minutes to reply to that, and the division will not occupy very long. I would suggest that we should reach a decision which would give the motion a chance of being disposed of, because time is of the very essence of that motion.
We have no objection to Deputy Hogan's motion being taken before the resumption of Deputy Norton's motion.
Number 26, of course, has priority. It is certainly unusual not to resume such a motion and to go on with another one. However, if the House unanimously desires that that course should be adopted the Chair will raise no objection.
I much prefer Deputy Dillon's suggestion that we shoult sit for as long to-morrow as may be necessary. If that is done there will be no necessity to reverse the ordinary procedure.
That does not interfere with it in any way, and I do suggest to Deputy MacDermot that it would help the smooth flow of business if Deputy Hogan's motion were disposed of. The House will then have a better idea as to what amount of time is available to discuss Deputy Norton's motion, which could not so well be limited in time.