The Minister for Agriculture has intimated that he will be unavoidably absent from the Seanad to-day. He has asked, therefore, for a postponement until to-morrow of items Nos. 3, 6 and 7—a Bill and motions relating to his particular Department. I take it there is no objection to that.
Business of Seanad.
Then we shall take items Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 8 to-day?
Not item No. 8—items Nos. 9 and 10.
The motion in my name with regard to transport is a matter of urgent public importance, and I should be very grateful to the House if it would allow me to have that matter discussed. As it is necessary that the Minister for Industry and Commerce should be present, I suggest that it might be taken after the adjournment for tea.
The motion must take its place except by agreement of the House.
I think agreement could be got. It will not take more than a quarter of an hour to discuss the whole matter.
Senator Sir John Keane's motion is the only motion before Senator Counihan's to-day, and if Senator Sir John Keane agreed to let Senator Counihan's motion take precedence of his, would it not bring Senator Counihan's motion up immediately after item No. 5?
Yes, if there were that agreement.
We know, of course, that everything Senator Counihan does is always of urgent public importance.
The only point is that while Senator Counihan may be quite sincere when he speaks of discussing this in 15 minutes, the position is that he himself will spend 15 minutes, and then somebody else will continue. I do not see how you can hope to do it, because you cannot deal with anything in less than an hour.
It is only a Kerry method of saying that he wants it to come on before Senator Sir John Keane's motion.
Could we make a bargain with Senator Counihan, and allow him to raise this matter, if he will guarantee not to raise the question of credit for farmers?
Agreed: That Senator Counihan's motion take precedence of Senator Sir John Keane's motion.