Business will be taken as on the Order Paper, Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 1—Votes 41 to 61.
Order of Business.
Is it intended to sit next week?
No.
When is it intended to adjourn?
We will decide that to-morrow.
Will we have Private Members' time to-night?
No.
It is intended, I understand, to take only Votes 41 to 61 inclusive.
May I ask the Taoiseach if he will grant time for the consideration of the motions which I have on the Order Paper. In my opinion these motions deal with questions of transcending national importance. They deal with the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease and with food supplies. I would be glad to know if he will grant time for their immediate consideration.
We have given the Deputy time on several occasions already. If there is any matter of importance, it can come before the House in the ordinary way. An opportunity will be found for discussing it.
The position is becoming more acute, as the Taoiseach knows. He expressed that view himself in Limerick a few days ago. The foot-and-mouth disease is not a month old, but it is spreading rapidly. It is a terribly serious matter for the people in my constituency, as well as in its bearing on the production of food.
In my opinion the Minister will be doing far better work in trying to arrange that the spread of it be stopped than in talking to the Deputy here about it.
The Taoiseach considers that the Minister for Agriculture will be better engaged in his office than in telling the country what steps he has taken, steps which so far have proved ineffective, to stop the spread of the disease.
The Minister can do that at any time he wishes.
I take it then that the Taoiseach refuses time to consider these motions.
Yes.
Motions dealing with matters of urgent national importance?
To the Deputy, yes.
The Taoiseach refuses then to grant time.
To the Deputy, yes.
On to-morrow, I shall proceed under Standing Order 27, to have these matters considered here. The country wants them considered.
The Deputy may not debate them now.
Does the Taoiseach, or the Minister for Agriculture, appreciate that if the matter raised in motion No. 12 on the Order Paper is left over for consideration until the House resumes after the adjournment, it will certainly be too late to be effective this year? The matter that the motion deals with is of great urgency.
The Deputy can put down a question for to-morrow.
Will the Minister take a Private Notice Question?
Yes.
That is all right.
Why not arrange for a sitting of the House some day next week. If that is done there will be plenty of time available.
If there is any question that the House wants Ministers to deal with, we will be able to find time for that.
I submit there is plenty of business to justify the House sitting next week.
That can be settled to-morrow.