Vol. 143 No. 10
Business will be taken in the following order, as set out in the Order Paper: No. 8, Vote 3. Private Deputies' business will be taken at 9.30 p.m.
In accordance with the arrangements made between the Whips, the Dáil will meet to-morrow from 10.30 a.m. until 11 p.m. and on Friday from 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Arising out of the information given by the Government to the Whips last week to the effect that they would ask the Dáil to pass certain legislation before adjourning for the Christmas, in view of the present state of public business would the Tánaiste now indicate whether the Government have revised their plans in that respect?
Not to any substantial extent. We will look at the position again at the end of this week. The intention is to start the debate on the Local Authorities Rates Bill to-morrow.
In view of the fact that the Bill has to go through four remaining stages in this House, is it not clear that there is no hope of passing the Bill this side of Christmas?
Not without the co-operation of the House.
A fat lot of co-operation I got when I asked the Minister for Local Government for information with regard to the Local Authorities Rates Bill.
You are always complaining.
The Deputies must share responsibility.
Is there any reason why the House would not resume in the week after Christmas and put this legislation through in the normal way instead of rushing it through before Christmas?
The full desire of the Government is to proceed, if possible, in these matters by way of agreement.
If it is not possible, then, to have this legislation passed in a reasonable way before Christmas, will the Government consider resuming immediately after Christmas to deal with the legislation in the ordinary way?
All possible alternatives will be considered.
Will the Tánaiste bring to the notice of his colleague, the Minister for Local Government, that agreement does not mean that everything goes one way? If the Minister for Local Government had given us the information for which we asked by way of parliamentary question on several occasions to enable us adequately to understand this Bill—information which he always said he would not give until the Second Reading—there would be more hope of our being able adequately to discuss the Committee Stage at shorter notice.
Even if I had given the information to you there would still besomething else which you would require.
The Minister for Local Government refused to give us the information. He has hoist his own Government by his obstinacy.
In view of the evasive and unsatisfactory reply which I received to Question No. 69, I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I want to raise the subject-matter of Questions Nos. 40, 41 and 43 which appeared on last Thursday's Order Paper.
I will communicate with the Deputies in the course of the afternoon.
On a number of occasions I have asked whether the Government would be prepared to give time for the discussion of a motion concerning the imprisonment of Mr. Liam Kelly, elected member for mid-Tyrone, which stands in the name of Deputy Tully and my name. So far, I have received no answer. Could the Taoiseach indicate whether he is prepared to make time available for the discussion of that motion before the House rises?
It is not proposed to make Government time available to enable the motion to be taken out of its order.
Would the Taoiseach have that matter seriously reconsidered, as I feel it would be the wish of the House to have an opportunity of expressing its views on the matter? Will he have the matter reconsidered?
The matter has been given a good deal of consideration.
Do I take it that the Taoiseach refuses to make time available?
They are afraid to say anything.
I want to raise a matter which is seriously affecting myconstituency at the moment—the question of the import of onions.
The Deputy will give me notice of the question.
This is a very important matter, as the whole of West Kerry is affected by it. There is no sale of onions whatever from the West Kerry peninsula, as there are 60,000 tons of imported onions in the country.
