It is proposed to take items Nos. 6 (resumed), 7, 8 and 9. Private Members' Business will be item No. 14 (resumed).
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business I would like to ask the Taoiseach if he has any further information as a result of my question yesterday on behalf of the Irish Dunlop Company. He said yesterday that he had not notice of the question. Perhaps he will have information this morning.
No, I said that I would make contact with the Deputies concerned in respect of any information I could give which is non-confidential. I had hoped to do that during the course of the day but I would prefer to leave it to them.
To clarify the point, is the Taoiseach saying that he will contact us today with the up-to-date information on the discussions that are taking place?
With any information I can give which is not essentially confidential, having regard to the fact that the Deputies concerned are people who can be trusted with reasonably confidential information.
I give notice that I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the imminent closure of the factory of CMI in Athlone.
The Chair will communicate with Deputy O'Rourke.
Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire Oideachais faoin rud atá ar siúl i láthair na huaire faoi pháistí scoile atá fágtha ar na bóithre agus nach bhfuil cead acu na scrúduithe san Ard Teist agus san Meán Teist a dhéanamh. An bhfuil an tAire Oideachais sásta an scéim seo a mhaolú i gcaoi go mbeidh deis ag na páistí na scrúduithe san Ard Teist agus san Meán Teist a dhéanamh? Tá siad caite amach ar na bóithre agus ní bheidh siad in ann na scrúduithe seo a dhéanamh.
Tá an rud sin as ord anois. Beidh an rún os comhair an Tí tráthnóna.
Ní leor sin. Tá páistí caite ar na bóithre maidin inniu. Ní bheidh siad in ann na scrúduithe a dhéanamh. Bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Aire——
Beidh cead ag an Teachta labhairt ar an ábhar seo tráthnóna.
(Cur Isteach.)
Uimhir a sé. Tá an Teachta as ord.
Tá páistí fágtha ar na bóithre——
Deputy John Kelly. Bí i do shuí, a Theachta Ó Gallchóir, más é do thoil é.
Bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Taoiseach nó ag an Aire Oideachais——
Tá an Teachta as ord agus tá a fhios aige go bhfuil sé as ord.
Tá an tAire Oideachais as ord. Céard tá i gceist aici faoi na páistí scoile?
(Cur Isteach.)
Deputy Gallagher will resume his seat.
This is not a laughing matter——
If Deputy Gallagher does not resume his seat he will leave the House.
This is a very serious matter——
Deputy Gallagher will leave the House. In accordance with Standing Orders, I am ordering Deputy Gallagher to leave the House for the remainder of this day's sitting.
(Interruptions.)
I will have Deputy Gallagher named if he does not leave the House.
I leave under protest.
(Interruptions.)
On the Order of Business, in relation to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill which was circulated yesterday, I should like to ask the Minister for the Environment whether he would be willing also to circulate to Deputies a summary of the legal advice which he had in relation to this Bill. My feeling is that he cannot do what he aims to do by an ordinary Act.
I made that point yesterday.
This matter was raised yesterday and the Chair then ruled that the matter which the Deputy is now raising can be raised on the Second Stage debate. It is not in order to raise it now.
I am sorry, I did not realise this point had been made yesterday. I do not want to be over-solemn about it, but this House is specifically prohibited by the Constitution from enacting anything which is repugnant to it, and this Bill should not even have reached its Second Stage.
The Deputy is now entering into the merits of the matter and that is not in order.
It is on the Order of Business. Deputy Kelly and I very rarely find ourselves in agreement on anything in this House but——
I hope the Deputies will find themselves in agreement with the Chair.
How can the Chair be in a position to over-rule me before the Chair knows what I am going to say? I shall endeavour to acquiesce with the Chair's hopes in this matter. I have been conscious since yesterday of the fact that your suggestion that these matters can be dealt with on Second Stage is not really appropriate in this case because many of us would like to know the constitutional implications of this legislation before we proceed to Second Stage. I reiterate my appeal to the Minister to let us have some indication of the Government's view of the constitutional position before Second Stage.
The Chair wants to make it clear that there is no procedure known to the Chair under which there can be a preliminary discussion on a Bill before the Second Stage. The Minister has heard the points made by the Deputy and by the Leader of the Opposition but we cannot debate it now.