Is it expedient or desirable now to refer to the programme for tomorrow and tomorrow week ?
Business of Dáil.
As the Deputy is aware, the intention for tomorrow is to give the whole of the day to the discussion of the motion in the name of Deputy T. F. O'Higgins and the amendments thereto relating to health services. I could not at this stage give an indication of the order for Wednesday next but on Thursday of next week the whole of the time will be available for a motion by Fine Gael Deputies regarding wheat.
Is there any objection to taking motion No. 20, on the health services, tomorrow with the other one? It seems a bit silly to take all these motions on health and to have another debate on health, as we shall have, on our own, as soon as the new year comes in. Would it be possible to take them all together?
I am always so anxious to oblige the Deputy that I shall agree to his proposal in this regard.
What is the net result of that?
The Deputy may move it tomorrow.
Would the Taoiseach or the other Parties mind continuing, if necessary, this discussion on health on Wednesday next? It seems to me that there will be quite a number of Questions on tomorrow's Order Paper and that they may take two hours, that is, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
I could not agree to that. I think it will generally be recognised as desirable that this Select Committee which it is proposed to set up should start functioning as soon as possible.
Agreed.
I should certainly like to see a decision on it arrived at before Christmas. I could not agree to give time next week. I hope it will be possible to complete that discussion tomorrow.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that the House should sit on Friday? What is to stop the House from sitting on Friday?
Would the Deputy ascertain the views of his own Party on that before making the suggestion?
Will the Taoiseach agree to it ?
I am the most reasonable person in the world.
I am all for plucking ample feathers out of the Taoiseach's plumage whenever opportunity offers but there are certain procedures conducted in this House and if we adhere to them we can make the House work and if we do not we cannot. Discussions have taken place between the Leader of the Labour Party and myself and the Taoiseach as to the arrangement of this business.
No.
I understand the principal Labour Whip was involved. The arrangement was that Thursday would be given to the discussion of the motion and the amendments. I understand that the Taoiseach has now agreed to add to that the motion in the name of Deputy Dr. Browne. I make no objection to that. There is no use now in making the case that the Taoiseach on this occasion is trying to put something over us. We agreed to it through the ordinary channels. If anyone wants to go back on that he goes back on me and the Taoiseach and, I understand, the Leader of the Labour Party. Unless we establish that basis of procedure the arrangement of the business of this House would become impossible. I accepted the arrangement that Thursday would be devoted to the discussion of the motion and amendments. I do not object to the further inclusion of Deputy Dr. Browne's motion although that was not included in the original arrangement.
I am the Labour Whip. I was not in any consultations about this matter. I knew nothing whatever about it until I saw it on the Order Paper today. At least let us be truthful.
My fear is that if the discussion goes up to 3 o'clock and then we have Questions, which will take us up to 5 o'clock, there will be no conclusion to the debate and we shall not have power to interrupt Questions between 3 and 5 p.m. unless a vote is taken.
Unless Supplementaries——
Plus Supplementaries.
If, in future, the Leader of the Government and Fine Gael make an arrangement about the Order of Business, on which the Labour Party are not consulted, we shall not feel bound to accept any arrangement.
The arrangement was that time tomorrow would be devoted to this business. Naturally, there is no power in the Government to ensure that the business will be completed tomorrow. I hope it will be completed because I think that, having regard to the nature of the proposals involved, it is desirable that that should be done. The only thing I said to Deputy Corish was that if it is not completed tomorrow, I could not undertake that time would be available for this business on Wednesday next.
May I take it that our motion will be moved first, then the Fine Gael motion, and so on? Is that the procedure for tomorrow?
That is a matter for the Chair.
Would it be possible, if we did not finish the health motion tomorrow, to finish it in some Government time on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, if we are not full of business?
In view of other business which will have to be discussed all next week, I do not think I could give Government time for it next week. I share the view, which I am sure is common, that if we agree to set up a Select Committee of the Dáil we should get it working quickly. If the motion is not completed tomorrow I could not, for other reasons, undertake to give Government time for it next week.
There does not seem to be a crowded Government agenda. Could we not fit it in on Thursday of next week for, say, at the most, two hours?
These are matters that the Whips can talk about.