It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper, commencing with items 3, 6 (Vote 64), 8, 4, 2, 5, 6 (Vote 56), 1 and 7.
Order of Business.
Is it intended to sit tomorrow?
It is intended to sit tomorrow if business so requires.
Does the Minister expect that the Local Government (Dublin) Bill will be reached to-day?
Yes.
May I ask if the Minister for Local Government and Public Health is aware of representations that have been made to the city manager on behalf of the corporation, to discuss certain aspects of the Bill before Committee Stage?
I do not know whether the Deputy has yet received a letter which I caused to be directed to Dublin Deputies. The position is, I understand, that the proposal they submitted, to extend the life of the corporation to five years, would be a fundamental change in the whole system of local government, and I could not possibly consider that on a Bill which deals only incidentally with the position in Dublin City.
There are several other matters in the Bill to be discussed. Is the Minister not going to receive a deputation?
I do not think it is necessary. The resolution of the General Purposes Committee of the Dublin Corporation which was communicated to me mentioned only two matters, one, to provide that orders made under Section 3 of the Bill should be laid on the Tables of both Houses of the Oireachtas and the other, to extend the life of the corporation to five years. I am prepared to accept in principle the proposal relating to orders made under Section 3. As I indicated already I could not possibly consider the question of extending the life of the corporation for five years. These were the only two matters mentioned.
That was probably due to an oversight. The main item that the deputation wanted to deal with was the question of the proposed areas.
I do not know if this is in order now, but I am prepared to accept in principle an amendment in the name of Deputy Doyle, that the Minister's Order should be tabled. That is a very big concession. Under the Local Government Act of 1941 the power of determining electoral areas is reserved to the Minister. I do not think I can go beyond that.