asked the Minister for Defence if he will state when he proposes to deal with an application for a military service pension made in August, 1925, by Mr. Patrick Curran, Ballinaleck, Crossbeg, County Wexford.
Ceist—Question. Written Answer. - Wexford Military Service Pension.
The application of Mr. Patrick Curran, Ballinaleck, Crossabeg, County Wexford, for a service certificate under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934, has been referred for investigation and report to the referee and Advisory Committee appointed under the Act. The Deputy's question has been brought to the notice of the referee with a view to expediting a decision in the matter.
It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper, Nos. 1 to 4 inclusive, No. 2 to be taken in its appropriate place. Public business will not be interrupted at 12 o'clock to take Private Deputies' business. I understand it has been agreed between the two Parties that they will endeavour to finish business by 4.30 p.m.
I take it that if business is not finished by 4 o'clock, as I trust it will be, we shall not sit later than that hour.
I am moving that we sit not later than 12 midnight to finish the business.
I would strongly appeal against any idea of sitting up to midnight. The matters with which we have to deal are important, and I think we ought to try to deal with them efficiently. They cannot be dealt with efficiently if we sit continuously from 10.30 a.m. until midnight. I would strongly suggest that we should not sit later than 4 o'clock, and I would appeal to the Minister to make it definite that we shall not sit later than that hour.
Did the Deputy not move last Friday that we should sit until midnight if necessary?
I moved that we should sit until 6 o'clock, if necessary. It is extremely hard for those of us who have amendments down to the Constitution to have to sit here all through the day. It is against human nature to suggest that we should have to sit all through the day and until 12 o'clock to-night.
No motion has yet been moved that the House should sit late.
I move now that the Dáil sit later than 2.30 p.m. to-day and that the order for the adjournment be taken not later than 12 midnight. We are anxious to dispose of the outstanding business.
So am I. If I am in order, I wish to move as an amendment that the Dáil adjourn not later than 4 o'clock. I am willing to make it 5 o'clock if necessary.
The business will probably be finished by that time.
I hope to heavens it will, but why run the risk? If it is not finished by 5 o'clock, I suggest that we adjourn the outstanding business until Tuesday next.
The printing for the next week will be upset then.
This is no way to deal with important sections of a Constitution under which this country will have to live for many years to come.
Dr. Ryan
There will be other stages.
There is a limit to what can be done on other stages.
If the Deputy did not spend so much time in praising the President we would have finished by now.
I spent no time in repeating myself.
If we do not have any other speech from the Minister for Finance it may not be necessary to sit late.
Deputy Morrissey made a few speeches that it would be better he had not made.
Will you, Sir, take my amendment that we sit not later than 4 o'clock?
Is the amendment seconded?
Amendment not seconded.
Motion declared carried.