It is proposed to take business as set out on the Order Paper in the following order: Nos. 10 and 12, and in No. 12, Votes 52, 53, 54, 55 and 43, and Nos. 4, 5, and 1. Questions will be taken at 2.30 p.m. I suggest that it might be desirable if the Party Whips would meet this morning to consider the possibility of terminating this business. In the event of agreement not being reached, it may be necessary for me to move that the Dáil should sit late today. Deputies are aware of the necessity for the enactment of the Central Fund Bill in this House and the Seanad before the end of the financial year because otherwise Government authority to make payments will have ceased.
Order of Business.
Let me make it clear that we have been willing at all times to co-operate in any necessary arrangements but the Taoiseach is not correct in what he has just said. It is necessary for the Central Fund Bill to go to the Seanad on Tuesday night next, but it is not necessary for the Supplementary Estimates to be included in the Central Fund Bill.
The Deputy must take my word for it that it is necessary.
Would the Taoiseach wait for one second? It has frequently happened before that Supplementary Estimates were not passed by this House before the Central Fund Bill was passed and were included in the subsequent Appropriation Bill. It is essential that these Supplementary Estimates should be passed before the end of next week. In that, we are in entire concurrence, but it is not necessary that they should be included in this Central Fund Bill. That has never been done. This is the Vote on Account and the Central Fund Bill must go to the Seanad by Tuesday night. We appreciate that the Supplementary Estimates must be passed before we rise next week.
May I suggest that the Party Whips should meet because the Government cannot take the risk of a situation arising in which payments could not be made?
The Labour Party did not take up much time. We put in only one speaker last night.
They held over one speaker for this morning.
If the Fianna Fáil Party had not put in a succession of their backbenchers yesterday, the Minister would have got in long ago.