It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper: Items Nos. 3, 1, 4, 2 and, in Item No. 5, Votes 47 to 37 as on the Order Paper, with the exception of Votes 38 and 55.
Order of Business.
May I ask if the Taoiseach is prepared to make Government time available this session for the discussion of motion No. 1 on the Order Paper which deals with the admission of the elected representatives of the six occupied counties to the Dáil or Seanad? I know that it is not customary when financial business is being discussed to give time to private motions and I want to say also that I realise perfectly well that the Government has been only a very short time in office and I have no wish to embarrass them in any way, but I suggest that, in view of the importance of the motion and the significance which may be attached to recent events in the six occupied counties——
The Deputy cannot make the case for the motion on his question.
I merely want to put it that the Taoiseach should make our position clear in the eyes of the world, namely, that all the duly elected representatives of the 32 Counties——
I think the Deputy is prejudging the decision on his motion.
May I ask, then, whether or not the the Taoiseach proposes to make time available this term?
The Deputy was inclined to prejudge the decision on his motion in the question he put. I appreciate the manner in which the Deputy has approached the interrogation he has put to me, but we all know that, normally, Private Members' time is not given during the period when financial business occupies the attention of the House. In this particular session, the matter is even of more grave importance because of the shorter space of time we have to do a very big amount of financial business. At the moment, I do not know how long it is going to take the House to dispose of the financial business, but I can assure the Deputy that I, personally—and I am sure my colleagues will agree—would be glad to have this motion disposed of at the earliest date if time permits it.