Before coming to the Order of Business I must deal with an item of private business, the report of the Joint Committee on Standing Orders.
Private Business. - Report of the Joint Committee on The Trinity College, Dublin and The University of Dublin (Charters and Letters Patent Amendment) Bill, 1997: Motion.
I move:
1. That the report be laid before the Dáil.
2. That the report, together with the proceedings of the Committee, be printed.
Is that agreed?
What is the procedure for taking this private business?
Report Stage in the Seanad is next.
My question still stands. What are the arrangements for taking it? What is the business in question?
It is The Trinity College, Dublin and The University of Dublin (Charters and Letters Patent Amendment) Bill, 1997.
It is a matter for the other House.
It is, and it is a matter for this House too. Obviously it would not be coming before this House if it was not a matter for this House. I am interested in the arrangements which must be made here. There is some outstanding business as far as Trinity College is concerned.
In the normal way it is dealt with in the other House and then it comes here.
We have had a report on it, Sir. Obviously it is not for no purpose.
As I understand it, in the age-old tradition, the Bill is moved in this House to allow the other House to take it. I understand that is the process. This is the technical motion in order that it may be taken in the other House.
Does it have the support of the Progressive Democrats?
There are a number of amendments proposed by a Member of this House, who is a member of the Government majority but who is not necessarily promoting these amendments on behalf of the Government – perhaps the contrary is the case. I am interested to know how this matter is to be dealt with. If anybody is wondering who I am talking about, I am referring to Deputy O'Malley.
This is to allow the report of the joint committee to be laid before the House.
Obviously if the amendments are in order in the committee they are also in order in the House and if a Member of this House was in a position to promote amendments in the committee, he would also be in a position to promote the same amendments in the House on Report Stage. I am just asking when will Report Stage be taken because we in this House do not delegate our legislative functions to the other House.
The motion which is before the House is that the report be laid before the Dáil and the report, together with the proceedings of the committee, be printed. It is a matter for the other House to deal with the Bill first.
It may be, but I am anxious to ask the Leader of the House, who is the Taoiseach, what are the arrangements for taking that aspect or stage of the business which falls to be taken in the House. That is a reasonable question to ask before we accept the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's motion on this matter.
It is really not a matter for this House, it is a matter for the other House.
With the utmost respect, Sir, the ordering of business of this House is a matter for this House, not for the other House, and I am posing questions about the ordering of business of this House.
If I may respond to that, a Cheann Comhairle, it is not Government business, it is the Trinity College legislation. The procedure, which is the time honoured procedure to which I understand the Deputy's party agreed last week, is that the Bill would be moved here and taken in the Seanad. It is a Bill which is moved by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. That is the process.
If the motion is opposed, it shall be postponed to another date to be fixed in accordance with Standing Order 119 of the Standing Orders relevant to Private Business.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I clarify a procedural matter in this regard?
There should not be a debate on this. I ask the Deputy to be brief.
Do I understand that the Government is facilitating in Government time the passage of a Bill to be debated somewhere else. Is that correct? If the Government is establishing that precedent regarding Trinity College, may I respectfully ask that it might extend the same facility to the Labour Party to enable a technical motion in Government time to facilitate the Labour Party, which is elected to this House unlike Trinity College, to have its business debated in Private Members' time?
The Chair must point out that this is private business. This Bill is not Government business.
How does it get on the floor of this House?
The reason it got on the floor of the House is that an all-party committee was established to make way for the Bill to get here. The all-party committee met, as I understand it, agreed it and sent it to us. Obviously the members met, they all agreed and they never told some of their leaders, but that is not my problem.
I can assure the Taoiseach that I am familiar with all the ramifications of this matter. I am, therefore, concerned that due process should be seen to be done. All I am asking is for the Taoiseach to say when this House's portion of the business, a matter of concern to a Deputy of this House, Deputy O'Malley, for whom I would have thought the Taoiseach would have concern but perhaps he does not, will be taken?
I do not hear anyone opposing the proposal. Following the all-party committee the whips examined the matter in great detail. Deputy O'Malley, who is a whip, explained it to us.
In Latin.
Everybody, including Deputy O'Malley, agreed to the procedure for the proposal this morning.
Is the motion agreed? Agreed.
I take it the arrangements for taking the Bill will be brought before the House by the Taoiseach in the normal way. That assurance is all I sought in the first place and on that basis I am quite happy.
As always.
Question put and agreed to.