It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper; Public Business not to be interrupted at 12 o'clock.
Order of Business.
What is the purpose of the Government's taking Private Members' time to-day? I understood that the Tanaiste is proposing to take Private Members' time at 12 o'clock to-day.
Normally, at this time of the year, there would not be any Private Members' time. That is the normal procedure at this time of year. By special arrangement time was given to Private Members last week. Next week there will be a great many Estimates still to be dealt with, and as it is the last week before the Easter adjournment we are anxious to get through with the Estimates as quickly as possible.
I think that if the Tanaiste would look at the record he would find that we have had Private Members' time made available in a number of previous years at this time. I think the Tanaiste should take into consideration the fact that there are exceptional circumstances at the moment. For instance, the Dáil did not meet, practically, between July and December last, with the result that a large number of motions by Private Members on the Order Paper could not be discussed. Since December the Dáil has been only meeting on two days per week and, in many weeks, only on one day. I think that this is the first time the Dáil has met on a Friday since July of last year. All that has had the effect of curtailing Private Members' time, and I suggest that that is an invasion of the rights of the Members of this House. I am sure that the Tanaiste would agree that Private Members have not had much time made available to them since July of last year, and I think that, in the circumstances, he ought to allow to Private Members to-day the time which would normally be available to them as, otherwise, they cannot get a chance of discussing the important matters in which they are specially interested. I appeal to the Tanaiste to agree to provide Private Members' time to-day in view of the serious curtailment of that time during the last few months.
It cannot be done to-day.
Does the Tanaiste contend that it has been the normal practice in this House that a number of Estimates should have been disposed of already—say, before the 31st of March?
I did not say that.
I understood that, owing to the time taken up by Estimates—at least this is what I gathered, but I see that I was wrong in trying to gather anything—there would be no Private Members' time at all, normally, at this time of year.
I did not say that either. I said that, normally, when the time is reached for the discussion of financial business, it was not usual to give Private Members' time.
Surely, this year the Government has received quite exceptional accommodation. There is a very limited amount of time allotted to Private Members, to which they have a right, and they are as much entitled to claim that time as the Government is entitled to claim Government time. I think the Deputies have given up practically all Private Members' time owing to the special circumstances of this year. We have had practically no Private Members' time since the Parliament sat, and now when an arrangement has been arrived at, with the consent of all Parties in the House, to avoid the discussion of matters connected with external relations and so forth, what conceivable objection can there be to giving Private Members' time this morning? A discussion has been opened on a very important motion, and the time has come for the Government, or some representative of the Government, to speak its mind on this very important motion. As well as that, there are Deputies here who have very much to say in regard to this particular motion, and why on earth should it not be discussed this morning? I think that the Chief Whip of the Government Party will agree that every conceivable accommodation he has wanted for the Government has been afforded from the Opposition in the last few weeks. I think the Chief Whip will admit that every accommodation he has asked for, for the Government, has been readily granted by the Opposition during the last month or three weeks, and I think it ill becomes the Tanaiste to claim Private Members' time this morning. I suggest that he should withdraw that proposal.
Am I to understand that we are meeting next week?
Yes.
As Deputy Dillon has pointed out, accommodation has been afforded to the Government during the difficult negotiations in which the Government was engaged, and that, in view of these negotiations, all discussion on contentious motions was suspended and the time which would normally be devoted to it was occupied in the discussion of Government measures. If that motion had been proceeded with in the ordinary course, the motion which is now being discussed in the Dáil in Private Members' time would have been taken to a very advanced stage and possibly disposed of. Now, however, the effort to accommodate the Government, I suggest, is being used to the disadvantage of those who endeavoured to accommodate them, because, in addition to giving up the time which would be taken in discussing certain contentious matters, Deputies are now being asked to sacrifice the ordinary time which is available to them under the Standing Orders of the House. I suggest that this is not a reasonable way of reciprocating the co-operation and indulgence which has been extended to the Government in recent months by reason of the difficult task in which the Government was engaged. I would advise the Government not to proceed with the motion to take Private Members' time to-day.
If the Opposition is anxious to have Private Members' time allotted to-day, I should like to know whether or not the Opposition mean to take up that time telling the House how near the country is to bankruptcy and all the rest of it.
You will not even inform your own Deputies. We have deliberately withdrawn from discussion of every matter affecting the external relations of this country and have confined ourselves, for the purpose of Private Members' time, to a matter affecting a purely domestic question of administration. We have no desire to go into the question of national finance or international relations or anything of that kind. We have deliberately abstained from such matters, and it is for that reason that we ask the Government to give time for discussion of a matter which could have no conceivable repercussion on external affairs. I urge the Tanaiste to insist on doing that, because it does promote co-operation.
Next week, I expect that we will have Private Members' time on Wednesday and Friday, if we sit three days, as is probable.
Could the Tanaiste tell us when is a statement likely to be made in connection with the negotiations that have been going on for the last three months?
I do not know.
Perhaps we will hear next week?
I think that the Labour Party will agree that the promise of the Tanaiste to give Private Members' time on two days next week, if the House sits on three days, is a reasonable compromise.
We will get Private Members' time on Friday as well?
Yes, if we meet.
But, in normal circumstances, will we meet on Friday?
We shall force them to meet.
Well, the Deputy had better get all his Deputies here for that purpose.
I perceive that there are two Deputies of the Labour Party here this morning.
Ring the bell and you will find where the rest of them are.