Before coming to the Order of Business, might I inquire what legislative programme will we be expected to pass before the recess?
Order of Business.
I understand that the Government expect to have the following Bills passed by the Dáil before the summer recess:—Local Elections Bill, 1953, Land (No. 2) Bill, 1952, Health Bill, 1952, Finance Bill, 1953, Courts of Justice Bill, 1952, Army Pensions Bill, 1953, Turf Development Bill, 1953, and the State Guarantees Bill, 1952.
In so far as I understand that, I can see there are certain Bills that will have to be passed by the Dáil, but the question which I asked was, what Bills will we be expected to pass before the recess? It is clear that we must pass the Finance Bill and it seems reasonably clear that we will get that before the end of the present month. It is also clear that we must pass the Appropriation Bill and, in the course of what appears to be the universal practice, we will probably get that before the 24th or 27th of June. The Local Elections Bill has a certain urgency and that will probably be passed in the Dáil to-day. As I understand it, the Health Bill is now in the Dáil, but we have no idea when that will be through.
It is expected that we will have the Health Bill by the end of July and, as far as I understand it, if we get the Second Stage of that Bill here, that will be acceptable. The Finance Bill we will have by the middle of the month and, as Senator Hayes said, the Local Elections Bill will probably be finished in the Dáil to-day. We will have it by next week and possibly we can deal with it on the next day on which the Seanad meets.
If it is not intended to put the Health Bill through all stages before the recess, that is satisfactory enough.
It is proposed to take the business to-day as set out on the Order Paper.