When is it proposed to take the Second Stage?
Public Business. - Military Service Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 1945—First Stage.
Leave granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Military Service Pensions Acts, 1924 to 1945.— (Minister for Defence).
This day week.
When will we get the Bill?
It is available.
There are four First Readings on the Order Paper. I do not know whether all the Bills are available or not. I am speaking now on the proposal that we should take the Second Stage of the Military Service Pensions Bill next week and I am raising an objection to that. We are to-day taking the Rent Restrictions Bill, which has been in our hands for less than a week. We are raising no objection to that, although it is a very difficult and very complicated measure, and we are proposing to facilitate the Government in taking the Second Reading now, but we would ask for time between the Second Reading and the Committee Stage. As Deputy Norton has indicated, there is a large number of Private Members' motions that have been on the Order Paper for a long time and, for two reasons, we would object to taking the Second Reading of any of these four measures next week. We suggest that they be put down for the week after next but that the House, sitting next week, should deal with the Private Members' motions that are on the Order Paper and dispose of some of these. Some of them have been on the Order Paper for months and months. On the Minister's suggestion that the Second Reading of the No. 1 Bill be taken next week, we do not wish to agree to that; we suggest that it be put down for this day fortnight.
There is no desire to be unreasonable in dealing with the Opposition in the taking of business. I suggest, however, that these Bills should be ordered for next week and that Deputies, when they see them, can then make up their minds whether or not they will require more time for their consideration before debating them. Some of these measures are comparatively trivial and should not, I think, occupy the Deputies' time unduly in ascertaining their purport.
Leave it for next week, then.
I think it would be possible to find accommodation for this business while, at the same time, clearing the decks of these motions.
Very Good, but I think it is somewhat unreasonable, at the beginning of the session, to introduce measures and to take them inside a week for Second Reading. However, in the spirit in which the Tánaiste mentioned the matter, I agree to its being put down for next week.
Second Stage ordered for Wednesday, 17th October.