Next Stage?
Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1962— First Stage.
Leave granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the law relating to fisheries and for that purpose to amend and extend the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959, and certain other enactments.— (Minister for Lands.)
I suggest Wednesday week, 11th July.
This is a Fisheries Bill. When will it be circulated?
I will be able to circulate it to-morrow.
Is this an urgent Bill?
I would say there is only one aspect of it that is urgent, that is, that there is an International Convention of Conservancy that cannot be signed by this country until this Bill has been put through.
It is a general amendment Bill; some parts are urgent and some parts are not.
It is intended to close certain loopholes?
Yes, amendments to the existing law.
Is it not absurd at this stage to be introducing a Bill for the purpose of the ordinary processes of tying up bits and pieces and closing loopholes? The world will not stop and the fish will not cease to swim between now and September or October. If it is urgent, certainly we will sit until August or September to dispose of it, but if it is not, then it could be disposed of in October.
I think we can see how we are getting on after next week. It is certainly my ambition still that the House should adjourn on July 19th.
The Taoiseach is ambitious.
Why not postpone the Intoxicating Liquor Bill until October or November?
There are many people who are anxious to have that Bill passed before the summer.
Can the Taoiseach promise us a summer?
There are certain things we ought to do. If there is something for us to do to help the tourist trade, we should remain here to do it; if there is something to be done to help the fisheries, we should stay here but is it necessary to squeeze out important business to take Bills when nobody will suffer if they are postponed for a couple of months?
Perhaps next week the Whips might get together and work out a timetable for the rest of the session. We shall be as accommodating as possible.
Provided half the Bills are taken off the list the Taoiseach supplied.
I do not think the Deputy will really want half of them taken off.
I might say that this will be mainly a Committee Stage Bill. I do not anticipate the Second Reading will take any time.
We will have a talk about it.
Second Stage ordered for Wednesday, July 11th, 1962.