It is proposed to take business in the following order:— Nos. 1, 8, 5, 6, 7, 9—in No. 9, Vote 3— No. 10, Vote 70 in No. 9, and No. 11. It is proposed that public business be not interrupted to take Private Deputies' business.
Order of Business.
What time is it proposed the House should sit to-morrow?
At 10.30 a.m. The business ordered for to-day represents the whole of the programme which the Government considers it necessary to have dealt with in this session. When that programme is completed the Dáil will adjourn until the 10th February, 1954. On the assumption that it may not finish to-day the Dáil will resume at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.
Am I to take it this is the Government's minimum programme before Christmas and, unless we can finish this by to-morrow, we will have to go on sitting?
In this season of peace and goodwill, an atmosphere that might even penetrate here, I would hope it should be possible to come to an arrangement. I would think Deputies would prefer to sit later to-morrow, if necessary, rather than reassemble on Tuesday next. If circumstancesarise in which that matter will have to be considered, no doubt we will get an arrangement.
That is not an answer to my question. Is it the Government's view that it is essential for the Government to get through this side of Christmas what is set out on the Order Paper here to-day?
Yes. The word "essential" has a variety of meanings. For example, it could not be said in relation to the Factories Bill that it is essential that the Second Stage should be passed before Christmas, but it is desirable that it should, and the Government wishes the Dáil to co-operate in getting it passed through the Second Reading before Christmas.
If it is proposed to sit at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow and business is not finished at 2 o'clock, is it the intention to sit late to-morrow or to resume next week?
I have given the House the programme that has to be finished before Christmas. As to the arrangements for getting it finished, the Government will be glad to co-operate in any proposal that Deputies opposite may think reasonable.
Surely it is a prostitution of the work of this House to suggest that within a day and a half a programme such as this could be got through.
As a matter of fact, I understood that so far as the Deputy's Party is concerned it is thought possible that we should finish this programme to-day.
The Tánaiste cannot get away with that. He has so mishandled the whole business of Dáil Éireann that we are now presented with the proposition whereunder we have either to put through a programme that should normally, to be properly examined, take at least three weeks and we propose to put it through in a day and a half or, alternatively, have the House meet in Christmas week.
It is a complete exaggerationto say the programme would take three weeks.
There may be a very long discussion on the Factories Bill. It is a very big Bill with a large number of sections and we would prefer to meet next week and deal with it properly rather than rush it through at the end of the session merely because Deputies want to get home.
I have not suggested we will not sit next week. I merely stated that if there was a general desire on the part of the House to sit late to-morrow instead of next week, the Government would co-operate.
I think that would involve a rather hasty discussion of the Factories Bill and, rather than have that, I think it would be better to sit next week.