A Message has been received in connection with this Bill to the effect that the Dáil has agreed to Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 made by the Seanad and has disagreed with Amendment No. 3.
GAS REGULATION BILL, 1928. - MESSAGE FROM THE DÁIL.
CATHAOIRLEACH
I beg to move:—
"That the Seanad do not insist on Amendment No. 3, with which the Dáil has disagreed."
This is a very small amendment, and it appeared on the Order Paper in this House as a Government amendment. It was passed without debate. I can explain its effect in a word or two. In Section 10, sub-section 1, of this Bill an Order may be made by the Minister on any gas undertaking to alter their mode of charge. At present they charge by so many cubic feet, but under this sub-section power is given to the Minister to make an Order that they should cease charging in that way and should charge by therms. Sub-section 1 provides that an Order of that kind shall lie on the Table of the Dáil for twenty-one days and, if disapproved by the Dáil within twenty-one days, it shall be annulled. Under the new sub-section which was added to Section 10 by this House the Minister can make an Order revoking his original Order. What the amendment did was to make that Order also lie on the Table of the Dáil for twenty-one days, with the same result. That was objected to in the Dáil, and the Minister agreed that that might cause a certain amount of delay and trouble. I suggest to the House that, as this was a Government amendment and as the Minister agreed in the other House that it should not be accepted there, we should not insist on it.
Motion put and agreed to.
The Seanad adjourned at 5.50 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 25th July.