I move:
That notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders in the case of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Bill, 1980—
(a) Report Stage be taken today and
(b) Fifth Stage be taken immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on Report Stage.
Social Welfare (Consolidation) Bill, 1980: Motion.
Because Standing Orders provide for a period of 28 days subsequent to the circulation of the report before the Fourth Stage can be taken, and thereafter a period of 14 days before the Fifth Stage — I am asking this more from curiosity than anything else — can the Minister give any indication of why there is this unseemly rush?
The urgency is that if we cannot get this motion through today the Bill may be overtaken by amending legislation that might arise from tomorrow's budget. Deputies will appreciate that unless the Consolidation Bill becomes law before further Social Welfare legislation is initiated a number of amendments would have to be made to the Bill.
It is fitting that I should take this opportunity to pay tribute to the way in which the members of the Joint Committee, Deputies and Senators, dealt with this Bill. It was a very onerous task. The Committee had six lengthy meetings at which each section of the Bill was considered in great detail.
Some amendments were proposed in Committee and I was pleased to accept them as they were helpful suggestions which improved the clarity of the Bill. Other important matters were raised but, because of Standing Orders, these could not be incorporated in the Bill. However, I undertake to have them considered further, and I hope to deal with most of them in legislation at an early date.
I would like to pay a special tribute to the Chairman, Deputy O'Keeffe, for his excellent work in directing the Committee through this complex measure of consolidation.
When the Bill is enacted, we will have, for the first time in 72 years, the statute law of the social welfare code brought together in one Act. This is an achievement of which the Joint Committee can be justifiably proud.
I compliment the Minister for having brought this Bill in. It is useful to have this consolidation measure on the Statute Book. I have read the report of the Committee proceedings. However, I have difficulty in understanding the delay in introducing this Bill which was first introduced by Deputy Cluskey when he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare. Deputy Cluskey did a lot of work on it. It was not introduced by this Government during all the time that the present Taoiseach was Minister for Health and Social Welfare. Having said that, I repeat my tribute to the Minister for Social Welfare, Deputy Woods, for the work he has put into the Bill. As I have said, it is a very useful document and it will be appreciated by the people at large.
Question put and agreed to.