It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 6, 7, 8 (resumed), 9 (resumed) and 10 (resumed). Private Members' Business will be taken from 7 to 8.30 p.m., No. 58 by agreement.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Taoiseach whether he has been able to establish when he can expect to see the transcript of the Supreme Court decision in respect of the Commissioner Garvey case which the Tánaiste yesterday suggested was a pre-condition to the making of a Government statement on the position of having two Commissioners of the Garda at present?
I have not yet.
Perhaps I could raise the matter again tomorrow and the Táoiseach may have an opportunity to find out.
Have the State's Counsel not been able to tell the Government what the court actually decided? They were sitting there listening to the judgment.
I am not allowing a discussion on this matter.
The Government were very quick to step in behind the Supreme Court in the Wood Quay case. There was no nonsense about waiting for a transcript then.
Does the Taoiseach intend to make a statement regarding the Summit meeting held in Paris and if so when he intends to do so?
I hope to do that tomorrow.
I move: That the Second Stage of No. 21, the Imposition of Duties (Amendment) Bill, 1979 be discharged and that the Bill be withdrawn.
It is in Private Members' Time. The Deputy might move that in Private Members' Time.
If I might cite precedents, the Consumer Protection Bill was withdrawn at this Stage and I take it that is the proper procedure, to move at this stage.
I have only pointed out to the Deputy who may not be aware of the proper procedure that the Bill is at Second Stage. It is in Private Members' Time. If the Government wish to accept the proposal the Chair will not object. The Deputy would be supposed to raise it at Private Members' Time.
Can we have a decision at this stage?
The Deputy is proposing the discharge of No. 21.
Perhaps the Deputy would ask the Whips to discuss it and, as the Chair suggests, Deputy Bruton might raise it then at Private Members' Time this evening. This is the first I have heard of the intention to withdraw the Bill.
The Fine Gael Whip informed the Government Whip of this yesterday.
And I told him he would have to await a Government meeting.
He did tell me that Deputy Bruton was raising the matter this morning but when I heard it last night I told the Whip he would have to wait until I had put it to a Government meeting.
The Chair would only point out that it is appropriate to Private Members' Time and the Deputy may raise it then.
Are we to take it that a decision of this sort, which is a relatively minor one, cannot be taken without a Government meeting?
I was under the mistaken impression that when the Opposition put down this Bill about two weeks ago they were taking it seriously.
If it was a good idea why should it be withdrawn?
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Government appeared to be taking the levy seriously.
On the Order of Business, could the Taoiseach say why the Government allowed bulldozers in on Wood Quay in view of the fact that the Supreme Court——
I should like to repeat that every matter a Deputy thinks of cannot be raised on the Order of Business. I am appealing for co-operation in this matter. I should like to take this opportunity to refute the statement made yesterday by some Deputies that if they ask about legislation in relation to a matter, anything can be raised. That does not in any way put in order a question on the Order of Business because if it were allowed one could ask a question about anything under the sun.
May I ask the Taoiseach if this matter is raised again tomorrow, a decision can be taken.
I shall have a look at it in the meantime. This is the first I have heard of it, as the Deputy can appreciate.
I am sorry the Taoiseach did not hear about it but this party did inform the Government.
I did not have time——
May I ask the Taoiseach if in view of the extraordinarily bad industrial relations in the public sector he will allow Government time for a debate on the Post Office, the dustmen's and the Aer Lingus disputes tomorrow?
This is something which the Deputy can raise in another way.
I am asking if the Taoiseach will give Government time to debate the matter in the next few days.
The Deputy knows procedures without having it raised now.
I did ask the Taoiseach if he would be prepared to give Government time to discuss these disputes as they are very serious matters of public importance.
I am moving on to the business of today.
Do the Government intend to complete the debate on the White Paper or is that to be subsumed in the budget debate?
Let us carry on with the business; this could go on all day.
Could I ask the Taoiseach if it is the intention of the Government to complete the White Paper debate and allow for a reply to the arguments concerned, or is it their intention to do as they did with the last year's budget debate, never complete it?
(Interruptions.)
Order.
The Opposition are making a shambles of procedure.
You people are making a shambles of the country—the shambles Government.
This matter was raised before.
I am calling on the Minister to move item No. 6.