It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 2, 3 and 4. No. 4 will be taken from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. It is proposed that public business will not be interrupted.
Order of Business.
Which Estimate will be taken?
No. 62, Wireless Broadcasting.
And then No. 61.
In relation to Private Deputies' Business, I wish to ask the Tánaiste when it is proposed to make time available for that? Does he bear in mind, with the passage of time, that accommodation should be made available for Private Deputies' Business, and that motion No. 2 on Private Deputies' Business Order Paper has reached its due priority for discussion, but has been postponed under the Ceann Comhairle's directions, inasmuch as it might be deemed to refer to a matter that wassub judice? Inasmuch as that matter has now ceased to be sub judice time might be given for discussion of the motion which does affect the privileges of the House.
As the Deputy is aware, it is not customary to provide for Private Deputies' Business at this season of the year. The Dáil will be occupied with financial business during the next week but, at the earliest possible time, arrangements can be made to resume Private Deputies' Business.
Will the Government not consider the special circumstances surrounding this case (1) that it is a motion which ordinarily would be regarded as a matter of some urgency inasmuch as it raises a matter relating to the privileges of this House, and (2) that it has been postponed and would have been entitled to be discussed but for the peculiar circumstance that protracted litigation left the subject mattersub judice for a very long time? In those special circumstances, will time not be provided at the Government's convenience for its discussion at an early date?
Time for Private Deputies' Business will be allowed as early as possible, but I cannot fix a time now because of the difficulty of determining how long the discussion on the financial business will last.
I appreciate that, and I do not wish to press the Tánaiste on the matter at the moment. I recognise that it must give place to the financial business, but, in the special circumstances, I should like to ask if special time will be given for the motion which deals specifically with the privileges of the House and which has been so long on the paper and postponed under the very exceptional circumstances I have described.
Possibly some time during this month.
I take it that reasonable notice of the appointed time will be given to me.