Before the business is entered on may I, Sir, through you, ask a question of the Leader of the House? Yesterday's Order Paper for the Dáil contained a substantial number of Bills that are down for Second Reading for next Tuesday. Can we have any indication of how many of these Bills it is expected to pass before we rise for the recess? Some of them, such as the Industrial Relations Bill, for example, arise out of the passing of the Emergency Powers Act. I understand, of course, that it must be passed, but there are others, such for example, as the Industrial Research and Standards Bill, and the Air Navigation and Transport Bill. Are we to understand that these are to be added to the programme that is to be put before us, and, if so, can we be told at what date in October the House will rise?
Business of Seanad.
I understand that while there is a considerable amount of business before the House it is desirable that all the Bills indicated by Senator Hayes should be passed by the Seanad before the recess. It is desirable, I understand, that the Industrial Research and Standards Bill should be passed in this session in order to have the bureau established. The passing of the Air Navigation and Transport Bill is also necessary since, I understand, it may be necessary to have some agreements implemented under it. In that connection, I would suggest that members of the House should be given an opportunity of expressing an opinion as to the number of days in each of the weeks ahead the House should meet so that the business before us may be completed. I would suggest that the House should meet on Tuesday next so as to expedite the completion of the business before us.
It is extraordinary how little Ministers change in spite of the politics. Ministers always have Bills which take years to frame and when they are framed they become immediately urgent. I can understand that, if the Air Navigation and Transport Bill is based on some agreements, there may be a question of dates, and that it would be necessary to pass it. I suggest, however, it is desirable that we would not be called upon to do all this programme in the last week of July. The programme that appears before us now is an enormous one, and I suggest to Senator Hearne that there should be some consultation about it outside the House so that when we meet after 7 o'clock it may be possible to put some proposals before the House for meeting on Tuesday next.
On that point, could we be told what business is to come before the House next week? I am aware that there are a number of Bills before the Dáil, which is not sitting to-day. In view of that, it would seem to me that we will not have any more business to do next week than that which appears on the Order Paper.
There are two Bills and a motion on to-day's Order Paper. We shall also have the Appropriation Bill and the Compensation Bill before us next week.
And there is the Courts of Justice (District Court) Bill which was before the Dáil yesterday.
That Bill was not finished in the Dáil.
What additional business will we have next week, apart from what is on to-day's Order Paper?
If the House meets on Tuesday next we shall have, in addition to the business already ordered, the Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Bill, the Appropration Bill, which is a Money Bill and which was passed in the Dáil last night, the Remission of Rates Bill, the Continuation of Compensation Schemes Bill, and the Report Stage of the Local Government Bill, assuming that we complete the Committee Stage of that Bill to-day.
It is obvious that the best solution would be to discuss this programme outside the House and present a report to the House this evening.
It must not be taken that I am objecting to the House sitting on Tuesday. If there is not business for Tuesday, I do not see much point in the House meeting on that day.
The suggestion is that, if business warrants it, the House might consider sitting on Tuesday.
If the House sits on Tuesday, will the Minister for Finance be available on that day? A number of these Bills appear to be his.
Yes, if the House meets on Tuesday, I shall be available.
The programme of business can be discussed outside the House and a report presented later.