Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Nov 1957

Vol. 164 No. 4

National Loan, 1957. - Order of Business.

An Tánaiste

Business, as set out in the Order Paper, will be taken as follows: Nos. 1, 2, 6, 7, 3, 8, 9, 4 and 10. Private Members' business will be taken at 9 o'clock or earlier if the Government's business concludes early.

Last week I was asked if I could give an indication of the business for the rest of the session. I think it is possible to give a general indication of what the Dáil will be asked to do before the Christmas adjournment. First, there is the completion of all stages of the Bills now in progress. In addition, it is desired to secure the enactment of the following Bills already introduced but not yet circulated: Scholarship Exchange Bill, the Trustees Savings Bank Bill and the Tourist Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

Furthermore, it is desired to secure the enactment of Bills yet to be introduced. One is to continue the Rent Restrictions Act, the Administration of Estates Bill, to be sponsored by the Minister for Justice. There is the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill and the Agricultural Institute Bill, which is being introduced to-day. There is a Bill to amend a Local Loans Act and a Gas Price Bill. Furthermore, it is hoped the Dáil will agree in this session to give Second Readings to the following Bills which may require considerable interval between the Second Reading and Committee Stages: the Greyhound Industry Bill——

Mr. Sweetman

What has the Minister for Health got to say about that?

An Tánaiste

He will have a lot to say about it, I am sure. There are the Trustee (Authorised) Investment Bill, the Restrictive Trade Practices (Grocery Order), Confirmation Bill and the Control of Manufactures Bill, if it is ready. There is some drafting difficulty there and the draftsman cannot undertake to have it in time. In addition, there will be Supplementary Estimates for transport services, which it will be necessary to deal with this session, and a motion for scheduling to the State Guarantees Act of the Dundalk engineering works. There may be some other urgent and important business not at present foreseen.

It is suggested that the Dáil on completion of to-day's business should not meet next week but should adjourn until November 20th. On that date it is anticipated that the business will be the Second Reading of the Agricultural Institute Bill, the Committee Stage of the Gaeltacht Industries Bill and this motion about the State-guaranteed grant. Possibly there may be some other business but that will be the main business.

Mr. Sweetman

Will the Government have no business for next week?

An Tánaiste

The amount of business available—assuming Deputies will require a reasonable time between the receipt of Bills and their Second Reading—would not be sufficient, I think, to require a meeting of the Dáil next week. It means the Dáil may have to contemplate meeting later in December than would otherwise be necessary. It would be preferable not to meet next week but to have the Bills circulated.

Mr. Sweetman

Could the Tánaiste give us an indication of what business would be available for next week?

An Tánaiste

I could not.

Mr. Sweetman

The Tánaiste must agree that this is a bad arrangement of business?

An Tánaiste

There are other cir cumstances of which the Deputy is aware. I had in mind these Transport Supplementary Estimates. The Deputy will appreciate that I would not be available personally to deal with them.

Mr. Norton

On how many days per week is it proposed to sit from the 20th November, the date to which it is proposed to adjourn and up to what date in December is it proposed to sit to finish the programme the Tánaiste has indicated? Is this just a try-on or does he regard the programme as outlined as an indispensable condition of the Dáil adjourning before Christmas?

An Tánaiste

Some of these Bills must be enacted before the Dáil adjourns. Some include the replacement of Orders under the Supply and Services Act which would otherwise lapse and others for different reasons have to be enacted this year. I find it difficult to forecast how long the Dáil will take to do any particular volume of business. We have all more or less to adjust our calculations to the new tempo of the Dáil.

General Mulcahy

Tempo of the Dáil?

An Tánaiste

Not tempo——

Mr. O'Sullivan

There is no tempo at all.

Mr. Norton

How many days is it proposed to sit from 20th November until the Christmas adjournment?

An Tánaiste

We think two days' sitting per week will suffice, but I do not want to go into the realm of prophecy. No one can forecast how long any particular business will take to enact. It well may be that in December the Whips of the various Parties may prefer to meet more often.

Mr. Norton

Are we likely to lapse back into the one day sitting?

An Tánaiste

I think it is unlikely but it is very difficult to say whether the business will be or can be com pleted with two days' sittings.

Mr. Sweetman

What business would be available, if the Dáil sat next week? As the Tánaiste has mentioned the question of the tempo of the Dáil, may I point out to him that the reason the business has been dealt with expeditiously, without much discussion to date, is that all business done since this session opened was business introduced by the previous Government in the previous Dáil, and which this Government has rubber stamped and brought in again?

An Tánaiste

That may be right, but I did not know Deputies in the past had this reason for not making speeches.

Mr. Sweetman

There has been constructive opposition.

An Tánaiste

I could not answer the hypothetical question of what business there would be next week if the Dáil met. To some extent, other eventualities will involve absence.

Mr. Sweetman

Is it not normal that the Whips would get informed of that in advance?

An Tánaiste

The dates of these other meetings were uncertain until quite recently.

Mr. J.A. Costello

With reference to the Control of Manufactures Bill which it is proposed to introduce, I gather from what the Tánaiste said that the reason the Second Reading may not be taken before Christmas is that the Parliamentary Draftsman is not able to undertake the drafting.

An Tánaiste

That is not quite right. Certain difficulties have arisen, the settlement of which rests with the Parliamentary Draftsman and which have delayed the completion of the drafting. I am hoping these delays will be overcome.

Mr. J.A. Costello

I was going to put it to the Tánaiste that, in view of the fact that the Control of Manufactures Bill is rather urgent, it should get priority from the Parliamentary Draftsman.

Mr. T. Lynch

Is this the Government's idea of getting cracking?

Mr. M.J. O'Higgins

The Dáil was up for three months during the summer holidays and we have had practically no work since we came back.

An Tánaiste

We have done a fair amount of work.

Mr. Sweetman

Our work.

Mr. Norton

Will the Tánaiste say has the Minister for Health completed the drafting of the Greyhound Bill?

Mr. Corish

I merely want to ask the Tánaiste is there any possibility of devoting more time to Private Members' business? Over the past seven or eight years, Private Members have been deprived of Friday sittings and now there are merely one and a half hours a week for Private Members' business.

An Tánaiste

As far as that is concerned, we are quite willing to have the matter discussed with the Whips of the principal Parties.

An Ceann Comhairle

Private Members' business will be taken at 9 p.m. to-night, or earlier if Government business is concluded.

Mr. T.F. O'Higgins

I propose, with your permission, Sir, to raise the subject matter of Question No. 138 on last Wednesday's Order Paper on the Adjournment to-night.

An Ceann Comhairle

I have taken notice of both proposals and I shall communicate with both Deputies during the course of the afternoon.