Can we speak on this? We seem to be doing things in a hurry.
Committee on Finance. - Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Bill, 1962—Committee Stage.
Section 1 agreed to.
SECTION 2.
Question proposed: "That Section 2 stand part of the Bill".
On Section 2.
Section 2 deals with free postal facilities arising out of Parliamentary duties and when I stated on the Second Stage that it was largely the country member who would benefit, the Minister said that Dublin members, will also get these facilities. Compared with country members, they will get "buttons" because many city Deputies meet their constituents and do very little letter writing. I meet 300 people a week but I do not write 20 letters. The reverse might be the case for Deputy Burke in County Dublin. We represent the city areas in which all parts of our constituencies are within a threepenny or sixpenny bus ride. People come to us in great numbers—they do not have to write to us—or they may telephone us. In the country, because of the extent of the constituencies, people cannot afford to travel back and forwards to Deputies and perhaps find them out when they arrive. Therefore they write to them.
I just want to correct the Minister on this. As far as the majority of Dublin Deputies are concerned, they will not get peanuts from this except that some members may use it for business purposes but if they do, it will defeat the whole purpose of this amenity. I want to emphasise again that Dublin members will get little or nothing out of either sections of the Bill; otherwise, I have no objection to it.
Question put and agreed to.
NEW SECTION.
I move:
Before section 3 to insert the following new section:
"3. (1) The Minister for Finance may make regulations for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Every regulation made under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next subsequent twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly but without prejudice to anything previously done thereunder."
This amendment means, of course, that Section 3 as it stands will not be moved. This is in substitution for that section. It provides that every regulation will be laid on the Table of each House and may be annulled.
This is to meet the point I raised.
Amendment agreed to.
Section 3 deleted.
Section 4 agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Bill reported with amendment.
Report Stage ordered for Wednesday, 12th December, 1962.