Vol. 55 No. 5
Motion No. 5 on the Order Paper, in the names of Senators Prendergast and L'Estrange, is as follows.
"Seanad Éireann is of the opinion that the definitive and operational scope of the Live Stock Breeding Act, 1925 fails, in present day conditions, to meet the requirements necessary for the further and better development of the livestock industry."
I was taken by surprise that this motion would be debated today. There are statistics in support of my motion which I have not in my possession. Would it be possible to have the motion put back?
For the record, I must inform the Seanad that I wrote to Senator Prendergast and told him that this motion and his previous motion would be taken today. The Minister is here now and is prepared to take it. If the motion is not taken, I do not see how he can expect us to make any further arrangements to take it when there is other more pressing business to be done.
I appreciate that Senator Ó Maoláin wrote to me but I did not get the letter until last night because I was not at home earlier. There are some statistics I want to use in support of my motion. I do not think it is fair to ask me to go on with the motion now. I would respectfully ask——
Senator Prendergast says that while he did get the notice he did not get it until late and that there are some statistics he requires in order to make his case.
The motion was put down last week and surely there was time enough to provide against the possibility of its being taken this week. Senators will recall that last year there were motions on the Order Paper and that from time to time the Minister was ready to take them but Senators were not. They were postponed and postponed. Then when occasion warranted we were charged that we were cluttering up the Order Paper and making no arrangements to take the motions. I am trying to provide against that happening now. If the motion is not taken now and if the Senators are not ready, I do not think we can be expected to worry too much about when it is taken.
It goes to the bottom of the Order Paper if Senator Prendergast does not wish the discussion to take place now.
I am afraid the fault is mine. I appear to have been too accommodating.
That would appear to be the case. I do not know if that is generally accepted or not. In the event of Senator Prendergast not moving it, it is right to put it at the bottom of the Order Paper.
Do not put it down too far.
The motion refers to an Act that has been there since 1925 and I do not suppose that another month or two would make any considerable difference.
I would like to protest. If there is a motion on the Order Paper tonight and the Minister is here ready and willing to take it but the sponsors of the motion do not appear to have their ammunition ready, then I cannot see any reason why that motion does not fall to the ground. I do not see why it should be put on the Order Paper week after week at the cost to the taxpayer of the printing involved if there is no possibility of its being taken.
I appreciate that but I find that the Minister for Agriculture appears to be equally divided. He is willing and ready to go on but he says that another few months do not make any difference. In fact, we have a very amicable approach by the Minister.
The Minister for Agriculture is not a member of the House.
But we respect him.
Some Senators are not prepared to be so discourteous.
There are certain statistics and figures in the matter.
I appreciate fully the value of a brief.
It is quite clear that an Seanadóir Ó Maoláin cannot take this motion off the Order Paper but we can do what you yourself have suggested, if it is not taken now—put it down the list. There is no remedy for that.
Yes.
We will have the pleasure of calling the Minister on No. 5.
And in equally good form, I hope.
We were expecting that the Minister for Justice would be with us here before we adjourned but I understand that he has not concluded the debate on the Bill in the Dáil yet.
Is he anxious to get here?
If the Minister has been in the Dáil without a meal since he was here at four then we can hardly expect him to come here. If the adjournment is to be taken now would it not be for a fortnight?
I think so.
Well then there would be no difficulty in completing this Committee Stage, in all probability, if the Minister wants it, and finishing the whole Bill on that date. If the Minister wants to put in an amendment to Section 29 which we were discussing he is still in time to do so if he changes his mind. He did say that he had accepted certain amendments today, and I think that when we meet again he will find that there will be no difficulty in meeting his wishes about the passage of the Bill. Instead of waiting tonight would that not be the simplest thing?
The thing that strikes me is that if we wait five or ten minutes now we might conclude this business and it would be worth doing so if the Seanad would not mind waiting for a check up to see what the position is in the Dáil and if there is a prospect of the Minister being here.
Certainly; I will suspend the proceedings until 9 o'clock.
Thanks.
Business suspended at 8.45 p.m. and resumed at 9 p.m.
