It is proposed to take Item No. 6—the Restrictive Trade Practices Bill—and Private Deputies' business at 12 o'clock.
Order of Business
I wish to give notice that I will raise the subject matter of Questions Nos. 124 to 130 on yesterday's Order Paper on the Adjournment.
I thought the Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach would announce the arrangement entered into with regard to the business next week, and especially with regard to the time to be allocated to the discussion on the Taoiseach's Estimate and two other Private Deputies' motions.
The arrangement is that the debate on the Taoiseach's Estimate will start on Tuesday after Questions and be continued on Wednesday. The Labour Party motion in connection with unemployment will be taken in conjunction with it. The Clann na Talmhan Deputies have also asked that a motion in their name—No. 23 on the list— should also be taken. The arrangement is that the debate on the Taoiseach's token Vote should conclude on Wednesday night in time for the taking of the necessary votes.
And we are compensated by Private Members' time on Friday.
Is it premature to ask about the hours of sitting next week, in view of our discussion yesterday?
It was also agreed that the House should sit on Thursday from 10.30 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Deputy Lehane requested time for consideration of the motion which has been tabled in his, mine and Deputy Finucane's names, with regard to the price of milk. Could that also be included in the debate on the Taoiseach's Estimate?
The Chair may take it that the main topics for discussion will be supplied to the Chair.
No. I do not think it has been the practice.
In 1948, 1949 and 1950 the Fianna Fáil Party, when in opposition, specifically refused to supply such topics. Prior to that it was always announced by the Ceann Comhairle what subjects had been notified. That practice broke down in 1948 and has broken down ever since.
The practice was broken down by Deputy McGilligan long before that.
It was intimated to the House that the pressure to have a debate next week arose from a desire to discuss the unemployment position.
The Taoiseach's Estimate since those days in general Government policy.
Could Deputy Lehane's motion be taken in conjunction with that debate?
If the main subject is to be unemployment and we ramble on to all sorts of other subjects, it will be very difficult to get any definite conclusion.
The Chair was anxious that it should know what was the main subject for discussion. The Chair does not wish to limit the subjects which any Deputy is entitled to discuss but would like to know what will be the main topic.
General Government policy, from which all the ills flow.
The Chair must continue in its ignorance on the matter.