It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper, from No. 1 to 4.
Order of Business.
Apart from the Order of Business today, might I ask whether we could have any indication what business we shall be asked to conclude before the Adjournment? I know that we shall have to finish financial business, the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill, and the Bills on the Order Paper, but I find on the Dáil Order Paper eleven other Bills. Could the Leader of the House, at the next sitting perhaps, let us know how far we are expected to go?
It is intended to complete all the Bills, to which Senator Hayes has referred, except the Local Government Planning and Development) Bill. In addition, there are three or four minor Bills which do not involve any major changes and which will be coming along in due course.
That is not only absurd but it will also prove to be impossible.
On the orders of the day, none of us has received the printed reports of the debates for our last sitting. This is a serious impediment to the effectiveness of our debates in this House. Could we have some explanation for it and could we have some assurance that this will not recur? It is definitely a handicap that we are not able to study the previous day's debate in print before our sitting.
On the related problem, I should like to ask the question again: has there been any result from the active consideration which we have been told is being devoted to the question of the Reporting Staff and which I would describe rather as passive consideration, judging by results? I felt on the last occasion when at 10 o'clock we were told we were concluding the legislative business and not taking the motions and not meeting on Thursday that we should have been told at seven o'clock. I feel that the Seanad is being rather pushed around and that this arises from the fact that those in control are unable to handle staff problems in a way which would satisfy the Seanad. I should like to ask whether the question has been considered of setting up an ad hoc committee of the two Houses to settle this problem which apparently the Ceann Comhairle has been unable to settle?
In reply to Senator Stanford's question, the delay in printing is caused by the shortage of staff. We had hoped that the report would be available for today but that hope has not been justified.
With regard to the question raised by Senator Sheehy Skeffington, as far as I am aware, the position regarding the Reporting Staff dispute remains unaltered from that of last week. The position is that the staff have not yet availed themselves of the arbitration and conciliation machinery. Members of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges are kept appraised of any developments in the situation and I do not think any useful purpose can be served by question and answer in this House. I may say that anything the Chair can do to have this matter adjusted satisfactorily will not be left undone.
Arising out of your reply, Sir, I have seen in writing that the Staff are prepared to resort to arbitration and submit their case, provided the status quo ante January, 1961, is restored. Am I to take it from your reply that the authorities have refused it?
The proper course is for the staff to avail of the machinery that is there for the adjustment of this dispute.
May I just say that the proper course for the administration of Leinster House is to see that our debates are as efficient as possible, and they cannot be as efficient as possible unless we have the previous week's debates in our hands before the next sitting. I should like to emphasise that.
I should like to ask further is it the intention of the House to sit tomorrow?
It all depends on how the business goes this evening.
How late is it intended to sit this evening?
Again that depends on the progress of the business.
I should like to ask the Leader of the House will we be told before 10 o'clock if it is intended to sit late, because we were not told on the last occasion? I do not think business should be conducted in that manner.
Perhaps we can get an announcement after the tea interval.
We will probably be able to make an announcement after tea.