I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
Supplementary Estimates, 1980. - Appropriation Bill, 1980: Second and Subsequent Stages.
I want to refer to one point that Deputy Bruton rightly made before he went out. Three minutes ago we passed a Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Finance and it is now included in a printed Bill ready to be discussed here. I appreciate that there is no other way of doing this and the money must be passed now. But this underlines the point that Deputy Bruton made that our management of finance in this House is crazy. I am not saying this in any party sense but it is time we got down to looking at how money is spent and accounted for in this House. We are going to pass here £3,441,326,550, almost on the nod of a head. I know a lot of the individual Estimates have been discussed but it is time we started trying to see how Estimates can be put before the House and debated on before the money is actually spent. Even if it takes five years we should certainly be working towards it.
The Deputy will be aware that the Appropriation Bill cannot be passed until the last Estimates are through.
That is the point I am making.
In this year the amount of time devoted by this Government to debating Estimates was substantially greater than has been the case in this House for many years. As the House will remember in the earlier part of the year we specifically set aside Friday for Estimates. That more than doubled the time devoted to Estimates last year. The time devoted to Estimates this year was 113 hours as against 51 in 1979, 64 in 1978, 18 in 1977 and 56 in 1976. I take the point Deputy Barry makes which is related to whether there should be a reorganisation. Obviously this is a matter that has been discussed by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and one report has issued and the Government contributed to giving this extra time this year. I understand a further report will emanate from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I am aware that Deputy Bruton has raised this not only tonight but over the past two years. I am also aware that the greatest exponent on that theme was Deputy Vivion de Valera. But this Government, having discussed it with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, did allow a substantial amount of time this year.
I am not arguing with that. I am saying that we are passing £3,400 million here now, all of which has been spent.
That is so on the Bill. But what I am saying is that we have given a lot of Government time for the Supplementary Estimates.
I accept all the Minister's other points but we are always doing it after the money is spent.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill put through Committee, reported without amendment and passed.
This Bill is certified a Money Bill in accordance with Article 22 of the Constitution.
Business suspended at 6.40 p.m. and resumed at 7.00 p.m.