It is proposed to take No. 7 (Resumed), and Private Members' Business will be No. 14 (Resumed).
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, I want to draw the attention of the House to the manner in which the Finance Bill is being dealt with. I am quite certain that my protests will have no effect whatsoever but, nevertheless, in the general interest of the business of the House, particularly the financial business, I should make this protest. The Government have been talking a lot about Dáil reform, especially in the financial area. At present the House is endeavouring to deal with one of the most controversial, revolutionary and complicated finance measures for a long time. The first point is that we are asked to deal with this Bill in a very compressed period of time. However, I will not pursue that. The Minister for Finance has, even up to this morning, been circulating amendments which are of substantial import and of critical importance to many sections of the community. I object to this process. It is not possible for us to deal with some of these amendments that have come out at such a late stage in the way we would like to, to consult commercial, business and other interests concerned and get an informed view of what is proposed. The way in which the Minister is bringing forward these amendments haphazardly and very late in the day makes a nonsense of any suggestion that this Government are serious in their intention of having the House deal with financial business in a responsible manner.
In order to clarify the position as far as the Chair is concerned, the Chair would like to point out that the Bill is being dealt with in the House in accordance with an order made by agreement yesterday morning and the Chair must deal with the Bill in accordance with that order.
I am not blaming the Chair, I am putting the blame fairly and squarely where it belongs, on the Government. I want to draw your attention to the matter of advance corporation tax. The Bill was published with a certain, very specific proposal with regard to advance corporation tax. Subsequently, the Minister said — not in this House but somewhere else — that he was making changes in this regard in so far as international corporations were concerned. Finally, we now have——
I have let the Leader of the Opposition make his point but it would be wrong to permit a long speech at this stage.
We are dealing with the Order of Business and I am complaining about the manner in which the Government are ordering their business. I am perfectly entitled to do that and I was giving an example of the manner in which they are dealing with this very important proposal.
The Chair has pointed out that business is being conducted in the House on this item in accordance with an order of the House made yesterday morning without dissent.
But an amendment arrived on our desks this morning put forward by the Minister for Finance which is of substantial import and it was not known to us.
Perhaps you could raise that matter when we reach the amendment.
I wish to point out that when we made this order in the House we were not aware that the Minister was going to come forward with major changes by way of amendments. I do not know if we can do anything about it now but I wish to protest on behalf of the Opposition, who are anxious to deal with this Bill in a responsible and mature way and have been prevented from doing so by the way in which the Minister is handling the situation with regard to amendments.
Is there no response from the Government?
Is a response in order?
If the Taoiseach wishes to respond he may do so.
The position with regard to amendments is the same as it has been in other years. When we were in Opposition we had the same difficulties with regard to late amendments. We made similar protests but Opposition memories are short. However, that is traditional for Opposition parties. Our memories have also been short but they seem to be longer than those of the Opposition as we do remember what happened on previous occasions.
It is a well worn parliamentary path.
Would the Taoiseach indicate, in the light of recent conflicting newspaper reports whether the Leader of the Opposition has yet indicated whether his party are agreeable to participate in the all-party committee on marital breakdown, and whether it is anticipated that this committee will be established before the Dáil recesses for the summer vacation?
What has that to do with the Order of Business?
In the Chair's opinion the question raised by Deputy Shatter arises out of something raised in the House within the past few days and it is in order.
In that case I can reply. Discussions between the Government and the Opposition are proceeding. Proposals have been made and I understand they are under consideration at present by the Opposition. We were told we would be hearing from them now, following discussions they had yesterday. We have not heard yet, but we expect to hear in the near future.
Deputy Shatter is a carrier pigeon.
I had intended raising much the same point. Can the Taoiseach indicate that the terms of reference which I understand were supplied to the Fianna Fáil Party will be supplied to other Deputies so that we may know what is being discussed?
I cannot hear the Deputy. What is the question?
The terms of reference can certainly be supplied to the Deputy's party. The terms of reference of the committee which has been mentioned are the same as those put forward in the previous Dáil. There has been no change in that respect. I will circulate them to the Deputy's Leader.
A Cheann Comhairle, with your permission I wish to raise on the Adjournment tonight the closure of Kilrush Pottery.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business, in view of the Taoiseach's refusal to allow Government time to discuss the future of Verolme Cork Dockyard——
We had that yesterday. We dealt with it yesterday by ruling it out of order.
If you will please allow me to make my point——
I will not allow you to make a speech on it.
(Interruptions.)
I am not making a speech. In fairness to Members of this side of the House I appeal to you to ask the people on the other side of the House to refrain from interrupting. May I make my point?
Yes, provided the Deputy is not trying to find some mechanism to get around the ruling of the Chair that he may not raise on the Order of Business without notice some matter which is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
It would never be my intention to try to circumvent a ruling of the Chair. In view of the Taoiseach's refusal to allocate Government time to discuss the future of Verolme Cork Dockyard and the workforce there, could I have your permission to raise the serious nature of the problem on the Adjournment?
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.