It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper, Nos. 1 to 16 inclusive, omitting No. 12. Item No. 2 will be taken before No. 1, and No. 14 will be taken after No. 16. Public business will be interrupted at 9 o'clock to take Private Deputies' business. If public business be concluded before 9 o'clock, Private Deputies' business will then be taken, but not for more than the usual time.
Order of Business.
Can the Tánaiste say when it is proposed to provide time for a discussion of the motion standing in the name of Deputy Dr. O'Higgins which appears on the Order Paper as item No. 26—"That the Dáil disapproves of Defence Force Regulation 69 of 1938."
That is the first motion down for Private Members' time to-night.
I would point out to the Tánaiste that there are two motions.
I am sorry. I cannot say when the particular motion which the Deputy has referred to is likely to be reached.
A matter arises in that respect about which I would make a submission. It is a well-established practice that Ministers have a discretion to make regulations and to do certain other matters which shall be valid, and all things done under that regulation are valid unless they are reversed within a given time by Dáil Eireann. I assume that the House assumes that if one of these regulations is demurred to by a responsible member of the House, early opportunity will be given for hearing the demurrer and the Government answer, and the House then can decide. If this motion, which relates to a regulation at present in operation to the grave detriment to certain people, in our opinion, is not dealt with for six or twelve months, as could happen, a very grave injustice would be done. I submit that where you have a specific resolution of this kind, the Government ought to provide a reasonable time, which could be arranged through the usual channels, to discuss the matter and to dispose of it. I suggest to the Tanaiste that this is a matter for which Government time ought to be provided, as opposed to the ordinary kind of Private Members' motion for which provision is made on Wednesdays and Fridays.
If the Deputy would ask his Chief Whip to take it up with the Government Whip, an arrangement might be come to.
I will do that.