Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Jun 1987

Vol. 373 No. 8

Priority Questions and Private Members' Business: Motion.

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Mr. V. Brady)

I move:

That notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders and until the adjournment of the Dáil for the Christmas Recess:—

(1) The following shall apply in substitution for provision (ii) of Standing Order 37— `The number of such Questions for answer on any one day shall not exceed five, three being nominated by Fine Gael, and one each by the Progressive Democrats and the Labour Party.';

(2) The following shall apply in substitution for provision (iii) of Standing Order 37—

`The sequence in which Questions for answer on any one day shall be placed on the Order Paper shall be decided by lottery.'; and

(3) The following shall apply in substitution for paragraph (3) of Standing Order 89—

`(i) Each group shall have the right to nominate a private Member of the group either to move a motion standing in his name or to proceed with a Stage of a Bill in the Dáil. The frequency with which each group may exercise this right shall be determined on the basis of the number of Members in the groups, and and

(ii) the sequence in which the groups may exercise this right shall be as follows—

First occasion on Fine Gael which Private Members' Business is to be taken
Next available	Fine Gael
occasion:
Next available	The Progressive
occasion:	Democrats
Next available	Fine Gael
occasion:
Next available	Fine Gael
occasion:
Next available	The Labour
occasion:	Party
Next available	Sequence to
occasion:	recommence.'.”.

This arises from a decision of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is that agreed?

Mr. Molloy

No, it is not. I want to raise a point of order.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the Deputy speaking on this subject matter?

Mr. Molloy

I am referring to the matter referred to by the Chief Whip of the Government Party, a decision of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. It is important that the House should know that this matter came before——

An Ceann Comhairle

A point of order, Deputy. It was earlier decided by a vote of this House that there can be no debate on these matters.

Mr. Molloy

I am raising under Standing Orders, on a point of order, whether the rules of this House apply to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges when they are debating——

An Ceann Comhairle

I am sorry Deputy, I cannot entertain that question now. I believe I disposed of that matter at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

Mr. Molloy

The House should be aware that, when this matter was discussed at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, the proposal was defeated and it was subsequently brought forward by Fine Gael within a period of a few weeks——

An Ceann Comhairle

Is this motion agreed? Is the motion by the Minister of State opposed?

Mr. Molloy

——whereas Standing Orders of the House specify that it cannot be brought back before the House until a period of six months has elapsed.

An Ceann Comhairle

I am sorry. I heard the Deputy before on that subject matter. Is the motion agreed?

Mr. Molloy

Under Standing Order No. 51——

An Ceann Comhairle

Is the motion agreed?

Mr. Molloy

No.

Question put.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 114; Níl, 25.

Tá

• Abbott, Henry.
• Ahern, Bertie.
• Ahern, Dermot.
• Ahern, Michael.
• Allen, Bernard.
• Andrews, David.
• Aylward, Liam.
• Barnes, Monica.
• Barrett, Michael.
• Barrett, Seán.
• Barry, Peter.
• Begley, Michael.
• Birmingham, George.
• Boland, John.
• Brady, Gerard.
• Brady, Vincent.
• Brennan, Matthew.
• Briscoe, Ben.
• Brown, John.
• Bruton, John.
• Bruton, Richard.
• Burke, Liam.
• Burke, Ray.
• Byrne, Hugh.
• Calleary, Seán.
• Carey, Donal.
• Collins, Gerard.
• Conaghan, Hugh.
• Connaughton, Paul.
• Connolly, Ger.
• Cosgrave, Michael Joe.
• Coughlan, Mary T.
• Cowen, Brian.
• Creed, Donal.
• Crowley, Frank.
• Daly, Brendan.
• Davern, Noel.
• Deasy, Austin.
• Deenihan, Jimmy.
• Dempsey, Noel.
• Dennehy, John.
• de Valera, Síle.
• Doherty, Seán.
• Dukes, Alan.
• Durkan, Bernard.
• Ellis, John.
• Enright, Thomas.
• Fahey, Frank.
• Fahey, Jackie.
• FitzGerald, Garret.
• Fitzgerald, Liam.
• Fitzpatrick, Dermott.
• Flanagan, Charles.
• Taylor-Quinn, Madeline.
• Treacy, Noel.
• Tunney, Jim.
• Wallace, Dan.
• Walsh, Joe.
• Flood, Chris.
• Flynn, Pádraig.
• Gallagher, Denis.
• Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
• Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
• Griffin, Brendan.
• Haughey, Charles J.
• Hegarty, Paddy.
• Higgins, Jim.
• Hilliard, Colm Michael.
• Hyland, Liam.
• Jacob, Joe.
• Kelly, John.
• Kenny, Enda.
• Kirk, Séamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Kitt, Tom.
• Lawlor, Liam.
• Lenihan, Brian.
• Leonard, Jimmy.
• Lowry, Michael.
• Lynch, Michael.
• Lyons, Denis.
• McCarthy, Seán.
• McCreevy, Charlie.
• McGahon, Brendan.
• MacSharry, Ray.
• Mitchell, Gay.
• Mooney, Mary.
• Morley, P.J.
• Moynihan, Donal.
• Naughten, Liam.
• Nealon, Ted.
• Nolan, M.J.
• Noonan, Michael. (Limerick East).
• Noonan, Michael J. (Limerick West).
• O'Brien, Fergus.
• O'Dea, William Gerard.
• O'Donoghue, John.
• O'Hanlon, Rory.
• O'Keeffe, Batt.
• O'Keeffe, Jim.
• O'Keeffe, Ned.
• O'Leary, John.
• O'Rourke, Mary.
• Power, Paddy.
• Reynolds, Albert.
• Roche, Dick.
• Shatter, Alan.
• Smith, Michael.
• Stafford, John.
• Walsh, Seán.
• Wilson, John P.
• Woods, Michael.
• Wright, G.V.
• Yates, Ivan.

Níl

• Clohessy, Peadar.
• Colley, Anne.
• Cullen, Martin.
• De Rossa, Proinsias.
• Desmond, Barry.
• Gibbons, Martin Patrick.
• Gregory, Tony.
• Harney, Mary.
• Higgins, Michael D.
• Howlin, Brendan.
• Kavanagh, Liam.
• Keating, Michael.
• Kennedy, Geraldine.
• McCartan, Pat.
• McCoy, John S.
• McDowell, Michael.
• Mac Giolla, Tomás.
• Molloy, Robert.
• O'Malley, Desmond J.
• O'Malley, Pat.
• Pattison, Séamus.
• Quill, Máirín.
• Stagg, Emmet.
• Taylor, Mervyn.
• Wyse, Pearse.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies V. Brady and Browne; Níl, Deputies Kennedy and Howlin.

Question declared carried.