Before Questions start, and in order to clarify something which was not very clear this morning, perhaps Deputy Brennan would confirm that the agreement is that the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill will be concluded today.
Committee on Finance. - Business of Dáil.
I understood that there would be an hour for Questions and that, if the debate was finished before Questions, Questions would be concluded. I was not quite clear whether the Second Stage of the Bill was to be concluded today.
That is what I am trying to clarify. Is it agreed that it will be concluded? Otherwise, I will have to move for a late sitting.
The Sugar Bill, sweet and all as it was, went on much longer than I anticipated.
Not through our fault.
We accept that.
We will forgive your inability to control your own Deputies and we will agree to finish the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill at 5 o'clock.
No matter what the reason is, we will accept that the Second Stage will be concluded at 5 o'clock.
Are we to take it that Questions will continue for longer than an hour because there are questions of great importance on the Order Paper which I should like to have discussed today? They are in connection with the landing rights at Shannon Airport.
The agreement for today is not to continue with Questions beyond 3.30 p.m. That is an order of the House.
With respect, I would suggest that, in view of the national importance of the landing rights at Shannon, the discussion on Questions should go on until we reach those questions and have them resolved.
The Chair is obliged to conform to the Order of Business adopted by the Dáil this morning.
Do I understand from what you are saying now, Sir, that we will have only one hour for Questions and therefore the questions to which Deputy Coughlan referred will not be reached? On Thursday last I put down two question in relation to that issue and the very significant issue of charter rights. Since those questions were tabled, on Monday and Tuesday of this week the Minister made announcements which seemed to ignore totally the right of the House to have these matters discussed. I must protest. In the face of the questions being put down and, I presume, being brought to the Minister's attention, both those major issues have been dealt with outside the House without the House having the opportunity to discuss them.
The Order of Business is determined by the Taoiseach from day to day. The Chair has no jurisdiction in the matter.
They are ignoring this House.
Surely the Deputy is aware that this matter has been under consideration for a couple of years. It was not sprung on him overnight. He did nothing about it in his time.
I question the urgency now particularly on the question of the Shannon landing rights——
The Minister got co-operation from us.
Are you backing him now?
We cannot have a debate on it now. The Chair will endeavour to get through as many questions as possible.
It should be noted that, without any prior information, we had put these questions down and the Minister concerned totally ignored the right of this House to have these two very important matters raised, called a Press conference and made announcements in advance of the House having an opportunity to discuss them.
Questions were deferred for weeks when you were in power.
The Minister wanted the Irish people to know what the agreement was as soon as it was reached.
Having agreed to finish the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill at 5 o'clock, I trust that the remaining time will not be occupied by the Government side of the House because some of our Deputies want to make short contributions. If that is abused it will adversely effect the possibility of future agreements of this nature.
I would prefer that the former Taoiseach should not threaten us. We will deal fairly with you if you deal fairly with us.
I was not making a threat.
It sounded very like one.
In that event perhaps the Minister ought to move for a late sitting.
You have already agreed to conclude the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill at 5 o'clock. Do you want to withdraw that?
We agreed to finish the budget debate yesterday. The day before, an inordinate amount of time was taken up by a Government speaker. That is the kind of thing I am referring to. We do not want that to happen this afternoon.
We do not want that to happen either.
That has happened on all sides of the House.
I believe that there is a high degree of co-operation and that there is unanimity on the point that we will finish the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill before the House rises this evening.
I want to get the question of the budget clear——
Let us not enter into an acrimonious argument.
It was for the convenience of the Opposition that we took the extra day.
If the Parliamentary Secretary wants to argue I suggest that he should move for a late sitting this evening.
Before we go any further we had better get it clear whether the Opposition are sticking to what was agreed five minutes ago or are they now backing out of it?
We are not backing out of anything. Deputies opposite began to get acrimonious.
I suggest, Sir, that we take Questions with your permission.
The Chair wants to get agreement on this matter.
I will not go back on my word and I hope that a reasonable opportunity will be given to our Deputies to speak in the remaining hour and a half.
Thank you, Deputy Lynch. Let that be the end of the matter.