Adjournment—Standing Order No. 29. - Business of the Dáil. – Dáil Éireann (11th Dáil) – Thursday, 20 Apr 1944

Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach (Mr. Kissane)

Before the Adjournment I have to make an announcement to the House. There was a discussion to-day on the report that came to the House from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, and it was decided to refer the matter to a committee of the Leaders of all Parties in the House. That committee has since met and I should like to read out its findings:—

(1) It was agreed that a time limit of 30 minutes for the leading speaker of each Party and 20 minutes for others be agreed to between Parties up to the end of May.

(2) It was also decided to sit on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of each week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. up to the end of May.

(3) Both decisions to be reconsidered by the Party Leaders at the end of May.

I propose this voluntary agreement for the acceptance of the House.

Mr. McGilligan

This is not to become a new Standing Order?

An Ceann Comhairle

It is an understanding to have effect only up to the end of May.

Mr. Kissane

It is a gentleman's agreement.

Mr. Dillon

May I take it that the agreement read out by the Parliamentary Secretary in effect substantially means that, by a gentleman's agreement between us, voluntary effect will be given to the proposal of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges that the debate on Estimates shall be confined within the limits mentioned in the report?

Mr. Kissane

On that question, I went back again to ensure that there would be no misunderstanding about it. I got the document as it was drafted by the Committee. I have read the words of the document and it is for the House itself to put its own interpretation on the document, but I understood from the Committee that it referred to all items of Public Business in the Dáil up to the end of May.

Mr. McGilligan

Not to all items.

Mr. Dillon

Let us make the thing clear. You cannot discuss the Transport Bill and matters of importance of that kind with the Leader of the Opposition confined to 30 minutes. We said Estimates and let us stick to Estimates.

Mr. McGilligan

The matter that was referred back was Estimates.

An Ceann Comhairle

The original proposal was in regard to Estimates.

Mr. Larkin

I object to the motion being put at this late hour.

An Ceann Comhairle

The matter is not being put to a vote.

Mr. Larkin

Well, then the friendly suggestion. Wait until to-morrow. I shall claim my rights as a Deputy and I shall not be bound by any rule of such a character.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy need not be bound. The Leaders of the various Parties came to this gentleman's agreement after the matter had been discussed in the House.

Mr. Larkin

I was in the House hours ago and no such document was read before this House.

An Ceann Comhairle

The House debated the matter for over two hours to-day.

Mr. Larkin

I was here when there was a proposal for a gentleman's agreement, but not in the terms now read out.

Mr. Kissane

As a matter of fact this agreement was not written by me. It was written by another member of the all-Party leaders' conference.

Mr. Larkin

I am asking was such a document read out to this House in the terms in which you have just now read it out?

Mr. Kissane

It was. This is substantially the same as the report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

Mr. Larkin

It was not. I suggest that an agreement entered into at this late hour should not be put before the House now.

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Apr 1944