Business will be taken as on the Order Paper, Nos. 1 to 6.
Order of Business.
This is a very formidable Order Paper and perhaps before we enter into it—I agree with the Leader of the House in relation to the Order Paper we have today—I would be allowed very briefly to say something about the business ordered. This is the last week—some people hope it is the last day—of this session, and we find ourselves confronted with a spate of Bills. We have six important Second Readings on the Order Paper involving a very considerable sum, many millions of public money between them, apart altogether from the principles and details involved. There is very little real opportunity of debate and no opportunity at all for constructive amendments. As I mentioned last week, the standard all-Party reply in Committee is: "The Bill is urgent. The Dáil has risen and cannot be recalled." This is not the first time this situation has arisen here nor is the situation peculiar to this Government, although the present example seems to be the worst ever.
As the Minister for Finance is here, might I be allowed to make two suggestions? We pass far too many Bills, and the passing of every Bill involves some public expenditure. Certain Bills are necessary, for example, Finance Bills, and Appropriation Bills, and I make no protest at all against receiving an Appropriation Bill rather late because that is in the nature of things. But other Bills could be managed in a different way. I suggest that we ought to have a 12 months' truce on every other kind of legislation except financial legislation and, for example, urgent legislation on public order. If we had that, nobody would be any the worse and less public money would be spent because every Bill means more expenditure and an extra burden on the taxpayer.
My second suggestion to the Minister is that if Bills other than money Bills have to be passed—money Bills cannot be initiated here under the Constitution—at least half of them should be initiated in the Seanad. The Dáil has far too much to do and the Seanad has too little. On the Order Paper for the Dáil last Thursday, there were 17 Bills set down for consideration. They will come up in the Dáil in October. We shall not get any business to do until the Dáil has disposed of some of those Bills. Would it not be simpler, would it not make for more economic use of Parliamentary time, if some of those Bills were initiated in the Seanad? This House adjourns for long periods and the less it gets to do, I am afraid—human nature being what it is—the less Senators are interested. If more legislation of a substantial character were introduced in this House, the House would make a better contribution; time would be saved in the Dáil and Parliamentary work generally would be more evenly divided.
The suggestions I make do not involve, and there is no possibility of, depriving the Dáil of any of its constitutional rights or powers. What I have suggested has no relation to Party politics. It would lead to better legislation and better transaction of Parliamentary business if, for example, we met here in October and went through eight Bills when the Dáil was going through another eight Bills. That would have the Dáil work and the Dáil would have the Bills from us later on. It would not lead to disagreement because there would be ample time to discuss the Bills and if disagreement arose between the two Houses, the common sense of both Houses could be relied on to prevent a constitutional deadlock. I believe it would lead to better legislation and better transaction of Parliamentary business. It would also lead to some saving of public funds. For that reason, I put the case forward to the Minister for Finance, as senior and experienced Minister, for his consideration and ask him to put it to the Taoiseach.
I see no objection at all to the proposals made by the Senator being considered for future occasions, but as far as this occasion is concerned, we are not averse from coming back for the Committee Stage of Bills next week or the week after.
It is no use.
It must not be taken by the Seanad that the Government are forcing the Seanad to finish these Bills today. They can be taken next week and the Dáil can be recalled, if necessary.
The Minister for Finance has a sense of humour. That is pure theory. It is not practice and it has never been practised by any Government.