As the Minister for Finance, who is also the Tánaiste, is present may I ask what legislative programme he expects the Seanad to conclude before the close of the summer?
Order of Business.
I do not know that I can answer Senator Hayes as fully as I would like or as fully as his question should be answered, in regard to the legislative programme as a whole. My particular interest is in that programme so far as it affects the Minister for Finance, and for the moment that is all I can deal with. I was not aware that the Senator would like me to speak with regard to the legislative programme as a whole. If I had been notified of that, I would have been happy to find out the position and inform the Seanad accordingly. In regard to Finance, besides the Finance Bill there is one small Bill dealing with customs, but I think the House would not find it necessary to spend a very long time upon it.
There is one other Bill—the Central Bank Bill—to the discussion of which I am sure the Seanad would like to give a good deal of time. That Bill will come before the Dáil this week or early next week on Report Stage. There are many amendments down for that stage and the Bill may take a good deal of time in the Dáil still. It is difficult to say when it will come before the Seanad—it might be after the middle of July. The Second Reading might occupy some considerable time here: I have no idea how long, but, to judge by the discussion in the Dáil, it may be very considerable; so it is hard to say when the discussion of the various stages would be concluded. If the Seanad would like further information as to the legislative programme as a whole, I will ask the first Minister who comes here next to try to find out beforehand what the full legislative programme to be put before this House is likely to be and to bring to the House such information as he can get, at the earliest opportunity.
I am sorry if there was a misunderstanding with regard to my notice. I thought the Tánaiste would be able to tell us of the general programme.
The misunderstanding might be mine.
At any rate, there is not much mystery about it. I think there is no difficulty in the case of the Appropriation Bill, which must be concluded before the Recess. In regard to the Customs Bill, I am taking the Minister's word that it is not important, and in that case the discussion would be short. We have got a copy of the Emergency Powers Bill already; it is a renewal of the Emergency Powers Act and I presume that, in the circumstances, we must complete it also. The real matter is the Central Bank Bill. I do not want a decision now, but I would like to put it to the House and the Minister that it is hardly fair we should enter upon discussion of such a very important measure in the last week of July. It would mean spending the month of August at it. The Minister would find that the Bill would get better discussion and be passed rather more rapidly if this House were to meet in the middle of September to take it up. By an understanding then, perhaps we could take the Committee Stage within a week of the Second Stage. In putting that suggestion to the House and to the Minister, I may say that the Central Bank Bill is the most important thing we have to deal with. The question whether we have to deal with it now or after the recess is the important one. I suggest that we should do it in September and give the Minister such facilities as we possibly can at that particular point.
I would like to support that suggestion. At this time of the year we have always had a certain amount of difficulty. It is not purely a matter of our own consideration, but from the staff point of view, it is desirable that there should be an interval of four or five weeks. I feel that Senator Hayes' suggestion would be a good one, provided, of course, that some other Minister does not come to the House with some other Bill for which we would have to sit in August. I am quite sure that, if we take the Central Bank Bill at the end of this month, we could not expect to have it finished, with the requisite time between the different stages, before early in September. That would not be desirable from anyone's point of view. If it were agreed that the Bill were to be taken about the 15th September, in view of the fact that there was ample notice, it might be possible to have an agreement by which the Committee Stage would be taken a week after the Second Stage, though such an arrangement would be undesirable if the Bill were being taken now.
It is in the interests of all concerned that the Central Bank Bill be taken after the holidays in September. If it is taken now, as soon as it is ready, I feel that, in view of the approach of the holiday period, it will not receive the consideration an important measure of the kind would merit. I cannot help feeling that it would be in the interest of all, especially in the interests of the Government, that it should be taken in September.
I have always found this House, if I may say so with respect, reasonable. Senators have always been kind to me, and have facilitated me in every way. I am anxious personally to get this Bill off my shoulders, so to speak, as early as possible. I certainly would like, if I saw a possibility of getting finished at the end of July, to get it finished, but I am not so sure that that is likely to happen, in view of the length of time it may take in the Dáil, and the possibility of its taking a certain time here, even on the Second Reading Stage. I would be very happy to fall in with the wishes of the House. I know that my own staff have been occupied with this Bill for a long time. They are very keen in asking me to get it pushed through as early as possible. Of course, whatever representations are made to me in the House, from any side of it, will certainly receive my most sympathetic consideration. If you, Sir, and Senators would not mind leaving it over for a few days for consideration, I would be very happy to see what could be done to facilitate matters.
I am perfectly satisfied.