It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper, Nos. I and 5—that is Votes 56 to 55 inclusive—and then No. 8; No. 2 to be taken in its appropriate place; Public Business not to be interrupted at 9 o'clock to take Private Deputies' Business.
Order of Business.
Might I ask the Tánaiste when it is proposed to take Votes Nos. 67 and 68, that is, the Vote for External Affairs and the Vote for the League of Nations?
As the Taoiseach is going away this week, it is not proposed to take them this week anyway. Probably they will remain over until his return.
When is that?
About six or seven weeks later.
Might I suggest that this be reconsidered? We were definitely under the impression that those Votes would have been taken last week, and then we were, if possible, more definitely under the impression that they would be taken this week. Considering what the situation is in Europe and in the world at the present moment, I would put it to the Tánaiste that it is nothing less than a scandal that this House should not have been given an opportunity of discussing that situation. For the last six months when revolutionary happenings, most fateful perhaps for us, were taking place—we have had no opportunity of doing so. A few odd remarks as a kind of side-wind could have been brought in on the question of defence, but on that particular Vote it required a certain amount of skill to bring some few remarks on the question of foreign policy.
It would be no difficulty to the Deputy.
Surely the Votes for External Affairs and the League of Nations could have been taken at the very latest this week. The Taoiseach's departure for America on Saturday need not have prevented those Votes being taken to-day or to-morrow or Friday, nor did it prevent their being taken last week. I can only draw one conclusion, and it is this, that for some reason there is an anxiety on the part of the Government to avoid a discussion of those particular Votes. The situation is a most critical one, and it is an extraordinary thing to learn that at this crisis, and not for the first time in such a crisis, the Head of the Government is going to be away for five or six weeks out of the country. Last September was an obvious case in point. I put it to the Leader of the House at the moment that that is becoming a habit with the Head of the Government.
I hold very strongly that the House should have an opportunity of definitely discussing the Government policy on external affairs—if they have a policy. The Taoiseach says they have; he says everybody understands it. Well, he is alone in that opinion; I do not think anybody understands it except himself. The country is simply bewildered; it does not know where it is. So far as it understands what the Taoiseach says—and I think it will be admitted that is no easy matter—on this particular question, it is profoundly uneasy—and with good cause. There is available for discussion to-day and there is to-morrow and there is Friday. Why cannot the Votes be taken to-morrow and Friday? I saw it stated in one of the papers on Sunday that the Taoiseach required a rest before going to America. He will not be doing too much of State business on the journey between Cobh and New York—he can have his rest then. If he wants, from that point of view, a period of free time in which to rest, surely this is about the best time he could choose for a serious debate on this vital matter.
I do not think there is anything that the Taoiseach or anybody on this side of the House—on this bench—could say on external affairs to the Deputy who has just spoken that would satisfactorily enlighten him. Is not that correct?
That is true.
Absolutely true.
I do not think the Deputy is missing much at that rate.
There is nothing to miss.
The policy is quite well known and understood in the country and I am quite satisfied that the discussion, when it takes place at the proper time, will satisfy anybody who can be satisfied, either here or outside.
We are a Parliament and this is the greatest issue that has turned up in the life-time of the present Parliament, or possibly even of the last Parliament, and yet the House, at this most critical period, is being deliberately deprived—not, mind you, one or two Deputies here, but the House—of an opportunity of hearing what the policy is and of discussing that policy and possibly even criticising that policy. We understood this matter was to be taken up last week. Still more definitely we understood it was to be taken up this week. We can only draw one conclusion from the fact that it is now being postponed for a considerable period, over a period of the most active crisis, when the crisis threatens to come to a head, and that conclusion is that the Government is determined not to give its mind to the people on this particular subject, but is deliberately keeping them in the dark.
When is the Air Raid Precautions Bill going to be circulated? We were told it would be circulated on Monday. It is now Wednesday and it has not yet been circulated.
It is not ready yet.
Could you give me the approximate date when it will be circulated?
I do not know.
It is put down for consideration to-morrow. I suppose it is not the intention to take it to-morrow?
It can hardly be taken if it is not circulated.
Can we have a couple of days in which to consider it?
More than that, if necessary.