It is proposed to take No. 1 on the Order Paper. I should like to inform the House that it is anticipated that the Electricity (Special Provisions) Bill, 1966, will be received from the Dáil at about 4.30 p.m. It is proposed that on receipt of the Bill an Order be made to enable the Seanad to consider it forthwith and that a Motion to bring the proceedings to a conclusion by 9.30 p.m. will also be moved. On the passage of the Bill an Earlier Signature Motion will be put to the House for approval.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Acting Leader of the House when he expects that the text of the Bill will be in the hands of Senators? We have not received the text of the Bill.
I understand it is being circulated at the moment. It was available yesterday but it was not circulated.
It should have been in the hands of Senators this morning.
I wonder, Sir, could you help me. We seem now to be discussing something which is not on the Order Paper.
It is only a matter of information at this stage.
So far as I can see, Standing Orders provide that every sitting of the Seanad shall be governed by a printed Order Paper. The Acting Leader of the House has been referring to something which is not on the Order Paper at all. I wonder would the Chair assist me. How can we deal on the Order of Business with something that is not on the Order Paper? How can a sitting of the Seanad deal with anything which is not on the Order Paper?
The Acting Leader of the House, I gather, has conveyed this information as a matter of courtesy.
As a matter of information.
As a matter of information.
I am asking the Chair to assist me in this matter. I know that the Acting Leader of the House has conveyed some information, but the matter on which I want to ask your assistance is, how can the Seanad deal with something which is not on the printed Order Paper? It seems to me that this matter is governed by Standing Order No. 19 which provides:
Every sitting of the Seanad shall be governed by a printed Order Paper, which shall be prepared under the direction of the Cathaoirleach. The business shall be dealt with in order as printed unless the Seanad shall otherwise order.
This is not on the Order Paper for today.
All the Chair can say is that the Acting Leader of the House has conveyed certain information, and that the intention is to make an order for a discussion on certain matters.
Dealing with something which is not on the Order Paper?
Yes.
Under which Standing Order?
The House is master of its own procedure and may do that if it wishes.
Under which Stand-Order? It seems to me that under this Standing Order the business of the House is governed by the Order Paper which is printed and laid before the House. This is not on the Order Paper. It does not come up immediately but I should like a ruling from the Chair.
The Chair will consider the matter and give a ruling presently.