It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 5, 2 and 6 and to take No. 2 in conjunction with No. 5.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, can the Taoiseach indicate at this stage what will be the sitting days for next week and the week after, considering that the Thursday of next week is a Church holiday and that the Monday of the following week is a bank holiday?
It is not proposed to sit next week. It has been the practice for the last two Presidential Elections for the House not to sit during election week. In the following week it is proposed to sit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
In the circumstances of this year in which the Dáil has sat on only ten or 11 days to date, and in view of the volume of business presaged by Ministers, is it not reasonable that we should avail of every possible sitting day between now and the summer recess?
It is not normal to sit on the day after a bank holiday but we are sitting on the Tuesday after the coming bank holiday. If I can count on the co-operation of the Deputies opposite I have no doubt but that we can dispatch the business rapidly.
In so far as the Taoiseach is departing from precedent in proposing to sit on the day after the bank holiday, why not sit on Thursday of next week especially since sitting on Church holidays was recommended in the Report of the Committee on Dáil Reform?
There is not much point in sitting one day next week.
Why not sit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?
The Deputy's party established the precedent of not sitting during a week in which there was a Presidential Election. I do not remember there being any consultation with members of the Opposition at the time in this regard.
To my recollection there was one occasion on which that was not done and that was in 1959.
The House did not sit during the week of the Presidential Election either in 1959 or in 1966.
At that time there were continuous sittings of the Dáil and the Presidential Elections of 1959 and 1966 did not follow practically immediately on a general election. Since the Taoiseach is departing from precedent in sitting on the day after a bank holiday, would he not consider departing from precedent in respect of next week so that the Dáil can avail of every sitting day in order to dispense business?
I suppose we can consider sitting longer hours during other weeks. The Deputy will appreciate that I was not responsible for calling a general election in the same year as a Presidential Election.
We must live with these facts. I wish to give notice that if, tomorrow afternoon, the Taoiseach proposes to move the adjournment of the Dáil until the week after next, we will oppose it.
They are not very keen to work.
At least we are working.
When we were in Government we were abused constantly by the then Opposition for not having more sittings.
We can sit on Fridays if the Opposition so wish.
Can the Taoiseach let me know when it is proposed to take the Second Stage of the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 1973, or when it is proposed to circulate it?
The Bill is not ready for circulation yet.
It has been on the Order Paper now for quite a few weeks.
The Deputy will realise that many Bills have been on the Order Paper for much longer than this one, in fact sometimes for years.
Is it proposed to leave this Bill on the Order Paper for years?
No, it is not ready yet. When we are ready, we shall bring it in.
Can the Taoiseach say when it is proposed to circulate the Disabled Persons' Bill, 1973?
The Deputy has not asked for time for it. As Deputy Andrews is aware, it is not usual during financial business to take private Bills.
Can we take it, then, that we can look forward to the Bill after the financial business has concluded?
We will consider it.