It is proposed to take No. 3. Questions will be taken at 3 o'clock.
Order of Business.
Can the Taoiseach say whether or not it is intended to have discussed these three other motions in connection with the closing of specific railway lines or may a decision be taken on these in conjunction with the motion by the Minister for Transport and Power?
As I explained before, the view of the Government is that the decisions of the C.I.E. Board taken within the ambit of the Transport Act are not subject either to approval or disapproval by the Dáil. I am giving the Dáil an opportunity of discussing the whole policy of C.I.E. but the Deputy must not ask us to abandon our position by giving facility to these motions.
I appreciate that but surely Dáil Éireann is entitled to express an opinion on these matters.
I am not disputing that and these motions are down for discussion in Private Members' time. What the Deputy is doing is asking the Government to accept the validity of these motions by giving Government time for them. What we are doing is giving the Dáil a whole day to debate this motion.
The Taoiseach will appreciate it would be a waste of the time of the House if the general question of the closing of these railway lines is discussed and next autumn the House spends three, six or nine hours discussing more or less the same type of thing.
The sooner we start on this the more time there will be for it.
Could the Taoiseach indicate how long this debate is to continue? Is it for to-day or until it is finished?
For to-day.
I do not think there was any such understanding. I understand we take this motion this morning and debate it. There is no understanding that it is to finish to-day.
As far as the Government are concerned, we are providing the whole of Government time today for this motion. If the motion does not conclude today we are not undertaking to provide Government time for it in the early future.
Does the Taoiseach appreciate there are many Deputies who have asked questions about C.I.E. and been told: "The Taoiseach has no function." To-day we have an opportunity of having a debate on C.I.E. Does he not consider, in the light of that, that it would be fair not to limit the time, so that every Deputy may express his opinion favourably or otherwise?
There will be other opportunities of discussing C.I.E.
When will those opportunities arise?
On the Estimates.
This is a Government motion today?
It is.
I want to make it quite clear that there have been no prior understandings—I think the Government chief Whip will confirm this—that this Government motion is to be brought to a conclusion today. The division will be taken upon it when the discussion is concluded. It was agreed that the motion be taken today but there is no understanding about any restriction on the debate.
I am not asking Deputies to commit themselves to anything. The Government are giving the whole of this day to the debate.
There has been no agreement as to what time the Minister would get in?
So I understand.
If the debate does not conclude today it will be resumed on another occasion?
I am not undertaking that.