It is proposed to take Nos. 9 and 18. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall sit later than 9 p.m. today and business shall be interrupted at 10.30 p.m. It is further proposed that No. 9 shall be taken without debate. It is further proposed that the proceedings on the Committee Stage of No. 18, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at 10.30 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only amendments set down by the Minister for Justice. Private Members' Business shall be No. 35.
Order of Business.
Is the proposal for the late sitting agreed? Agreed. Is it agreed that No. 9 be taken without debate? Agreed.
In relation to No. 18, it is proposed that the proceedings on Committee Stage be brought to a conclusion at 10.30 p.m. tonight. Since last Thursday a substantial number of amendments have appeared, including a number of amendments put forward by the Minister. I take the view that it will not be possible to deal adequately with the matters in this Bill before 10.30 tonight so I would ask the Government to change its view on that and not to apply a time limit to that debate. Let us see how far we get by 10.30 tonight but I do not believe that that Bill can be adequately discussed on Committee Stage during the course of the day and I do not believe there is any good reason for wishing to conclude it by 10.30 tonight.
Deputy Dukes takes me a little bit by surprise because my understanding was that this order was agreed between the Whips.
No, it was not agreed. We made it quite clear that it was not agreed.
Perhaps we could leave the Order of Business stand as it is on the understanding that the Whips will discuss it immediately to see if any change in the arrangements should be made.
On that basis, is the proposal for dealing with No. 18 agreed?
Do I understand the Taoiseach to be saying that he is now open to relooking at the time for concluding that?
Yes.
I am seeking clarification on this. The original proposition put to the Whips last week was that the Intoxicating Liquor Bill would spill into tomorrow. It was the Fine Gael Whip who wanted a full debate on the Cecchini report tomorrow and agreed that item No. 18 would conclude tonight at 10.30. tonight. It was on that basis that the Progressive Democrats' Whip and I agreed to the conclusion of the Bill at 10.30 tonight. Is there to be a change in the procedure now?
It is a matter for the Whips.
I do not believe that the House should have the debate that the Whips have. The fact is that since the agreement on Thursday that these proceedings would be concluded tonight, a number of extra amendments have been put down and we have had the agreement——
I see no reason why there should be further argument now. May I take it that No. 18 is agreed? Agreed.
On item No. 18——
I did not hear a dissenting voice when I put the question.
In relation to No. 18 I have not been involved in the discussions at the Whips' meetings and was not aware that this matter would be concluded at 10.30 tonight until I received the Order of Business this morning. We also received in our post this morning a list of 100 amendments to this liquor Bill and we do not see how those amendments, not even the amendments from the Minister for Justice himself, can be dealt with in the time allocated, and for that reason we are opposing the proposal here to conclude the debate at 10.30 tonight.
Let me point out to Deputy De Rossa that my suggestion is that we adopt the Order of Business as I put it forward on the understanding that the Whips will discuss the matter immediately to see whether any change is necessary and Deputy De Rossa will be advised of what takes place at those discussions.
Is that satisfactory? May I take it finally that No. 18 is agreed? Agreed.
I want to give notice of my intention to raise by way of Private Notice Question the subject of the closure of St. Mary's Geriatric Hospital in Drogheda.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like to ask you, Sir, if you could give the House your view of the propriety of a situation which results in an announcement in this morning's newspapers that Údarás na Gaeltachta is to have direct responsibility for the development of fish farming in the Gaeltacht regions, an announcement apparently made by the Taoiseach to Fianna Fáil elected members of Údarás na Gaeltachta last Friday? I would like to know why an announcement of that kind——
Surely this is not a matter for the Order of Business.
I would like to know why an announcement of that kind was not made in this House.
It is certainly not a matter for the Chair.
Údarás na Gaeltachta is a statutory body with statutory functions.
The Deputy must raise that matter in the normal and proper way. It is not in order now.
If the functions are to be extended, that should be indicated in the House. If it is not to be indicated in the House it should be indicated to the whole membership of Údarás na Gaeltachta——
It is not in order now.
——and not just those elected members.
I understand that there are some Members who wish to move Private Members' Bills at this stage.
Have you no view as to the propriety of that matter?
The Deputy gave me no notice of his intention to raise such a matter. I have no view on that whatsoever.
Had I knowledge of this before hand I might have given you notice but this burst upon the world this morning.
Clearly, this is a matter which is not for the Chair.