It is proposed to take No. 5 (resumed).
Order of Business.
Could I ask the Taoiseach whether it is his intention to refer the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill to the Special Committee as was done with the original Bill?
I have just got that notice out of the blue. I will consider it.
I am not proposing, I am asking.
Is the Deputy drawing it to my attention.
Yes.
I have not got the answer. I will look it up and I will let the Deputy know.
While that is being considered what legislation does the Taoiseach propose to proceed with? There are only two other Bills on the Order Paper neither of which has been circulated, and therefore when the House finishes the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) Bill it will have no legislation before it except for the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Bill which may go to Special Committee.
I will ask the Chief Whip to let the Opposition Whips know what the business is for the next couple of weeks.
It is of general interest that there is no legislation before the House except the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Bill.
There is some volume of legislation about to be circulated so I will let the Deputy know through the Whips.
On the Order of Business, could I express the dissatisfaction of the Labour Party that the Government side would not make time available to discuss the present unhappy postal dispute? We asked for time yesterday. Our request for time to discuss this serious situation was refused.
It is not in order to raise it now.
There is private motion procedure available for priority if the Deputy's party require it.
That matter is not important enough for Government time, especially when the Government are doing nothing about the dispute.