It is proposed to take business in the following order:— Items 7, 2, 8, 9, 1, 10, 11, 12 (Votes 5 to 71, and Votes 65 and 66), items 3 to 6. It is proposed that Public Business be not interrupted for the purpose of taking Private Deputies' Business. If the business ordered is not completed to-day, the Dáil will meet on Wednesday next.
Order of Business.
When the Tánaiste says if the business is not completed to-day, does that mean by 2 o'clock?
By 2 o'clock, and the proposal is to meet on next Tuesday.
The Tánaiste said Wednesday.
That was a slip.
It is not proposed to sit late to-day. That is more expedient.
We sat here late last night.
It is rather unprecedented to take the Finance Estimates before the Estimates of the Taoiseach. Why is there this last-minute change?
I do not think there is any established precedent in the matter.
I do not think it ever happened before.
It will happen now. We can establish a new precedent.
Surely, we ought to have had this information earlier than 25 minutes to 11 o'clock this morning. I inquired as late as 20 minutes past 10 o'clock this morning from the Chief Whip's Office as to the order in which the Estimates were going to be taken to-day, and I could not be told.
I think the Deputy is incorrect in stating that the Finance Estimates were always taken last.
I am not incorrect in stating that at 20 minutes past 10 o'clock this morning I could not be told at the offices of the Government in what order the Estimates were going to be taken this morning. I submit that it is very inconsiderate, on the part of the Government, to the Members of the House to make a radical change in the order of taking the Estimates.
The Deputy must have assumed that all the business on the Order Paper was likely to be taken to-day.
Certainly, but I could not have assumed that all the business on the Order Paper was likely to be completed by 2 o'clock to-day. I could not have assumed that the Estimates for External Affairs and the League of Nations would not, as usual, be taken before the Finance Estimates, and I could not have assumed that these discussions were going to be completed by 2 o'clock to-day. No one could have assumed, from the information at our disposal last night, that the Estimates of the Minister for Finance were likely to be taken to-day. At any rate, I could not be told at 20 minutes past 10 o'clock this morning in what order business was going to be taken. I object to the order in which the Estimates are being taken.
The Government has the ordering of business under Standing Orders.
Can the Government give any explanation as to why they are asking the House to take the Estimates in an order about which we could not be told at 20 minutes to 10 o'clock this morning—in an order not only contrary to the very Order Paper but contrary to all precedent?
That is quite wrong.
Will the Minister quote for me any occasion upon which the Finance Estimates were not the last Estimates to be taken?
Certainly. My recollection is that on a number of occasions, when I was Minister for Finance, the Estimates for my Department were taken before the Estimates for External Affairs and the League of Nations.
Mention a single one.
On almost every occasion.
The Minister made a statement last night that there had been agreement to conclude the business and to adjourn to-day. There was no such agreement entered into as far as our Party is concerned.
There was not.
Speak to Deputy Blowick. He knows all about it.
I understood the agreement was to sit late last night with a view to facilitating the Government, but there was nothing about concluding the business to-day.