Vol. 61 No. 15
I move:
That, pursuant to subsection 2º of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concur with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Finance Bill, 1966, on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.
I do not want to delay the House but I want to say again what I said the other night. Earlier this year we passed a Bill to avoid exactly this kind of situation. I hope the Minister will see to it that Bills will come to the Seanad somewhat earlier in future. We have only 21 days in any event, and our constitutional rights are very limited in relation to Finance Bills and should not be further attenuated. The Minister can always be assured of getting an easy passage through this House.
I was hoping that would be the position this year but a combination of circumstances—the Presidential election and prolonged debates on other Bills in the Dáil— kept me out of Committee Stage on this Bill in the Dáil. I was conscious of the undertaking I gave to the Seanad last year, and I was pressing to get this measure through the Dáil in time, in order that the Seanad if it saw fit to pass recommendations, would have the satisfaction of seeing them returned to the Dáil. I will use my best endeavours to avoid this happening next year.
I hope my remarks will ricochet on the Parties concerned.
I should like to thank Senators opposite for their co-operation on this Bill.
