It is proposed to take business in the following order, Nos. 4, 5, and 6, and in 6, Votes 61 to 63 inclusive. Questions will be taken at 3 p.m.
Order of Business.
May I repeat the request I made to the Government Whip last night that the House should rise at 2 o'clock? Rural Deputies want an opportunity of seeing the Spring Show. It is an agricultural show and it is necessary that agricultural techniques should be improved. One of the methods of improving them is, of course, shows such as this. That is why it is undesirable that rural Deputies should not get an opportunity of seeing the show.
With the co-operation of all Deputies, I am quite certain we can finish business early.
What does that mean?
May I say that last night we facilitated the Minister for Finance by restricting the number of speakers from this side? In view of the fact that the Finance Bill is coming along, it would be undesirable to restrict discussion in the same way on the Social Welfare and Social Assistance Votes.
It used be the practice on certain occasions not to commence the sitting until 6 o'clock.
That was for Punchestown.
Have the Government given up racing?
My position is that I have a number of Bills going through the Oireachtas. Some of them are with the Seanad. It is necessary to make some progress with them, as all of them have to be enacted this session. I would be apprehensive of the consequences, if we were to postpone them.
The Tánaiste might find that we would get through business more quickly the way I suggest.
I am prepared to defer the Estimates.
Does the Tánaiste expect to get through the Transport Bill to-day?
I should imagine that it is not likely to be the subject of a Division on Second Reading.
Suppose we arrange that there be no Division on the Second Reading, can the Tánaiste stop business at 2 o'clock?
I should like to get the Second Reading through to-day and have a fairly long period between it and the next stage.
We want to hear the Tánaiste's Second Reading speech.
It has been already made, in effect, last November.
I just wondered was it still the same, as Government policy seems to change so much.
We shall defer the Estimates and take Questions at 2 o'clock.
Questions at 2 o'clock would be a bit awkward now. I do not mind leaving Questions over until next week.
Whatever the Dáil wishes.
We could take Questions now.
No, we would require some notice. We could take them at 1 o'clock.
Then we will take Nos. 4 and 5 and Questions at 1 o'clock.
Sweet reasonableness pays sometimes.