It is proposed to take the remaining stages of the Redundancy Payments Bill, 1967.
Order of Business.
While I agree with taking the remaining stages of item No. 1, might I inquire from the Leader of the House when it is proposed to take No. 2 which I understood was to be taken tomorrow some time?
Yes, it is hoped to take Nos. 2, 4 and 7 together tomorrow.
I wonder when will the Leader of the House be in a position to indicate at what time the House is likely to convene?
After the tea adjournment tonight.
It looks as if the business will not last until tea time.
Before tea then.
The matter may be raised then.
In other words, as soon as I can find out.
Might I inquire when it is proposed to take the other motions? This Order Paper looks very much like the Government's Second Programme for Economic Expansion.
The Third Programme.
No, the Second Programme. Full of proposals, none of which is being dealt with. When is it proposed to deal with these other matters on the Order Paper?
As the Senator knows very well, it is not so easy to say we will deal with the motions on the Order Paper this day, tomorrow or the next day. As a matter of fact, I had one motion lined up today and it did not suit the Senators who were moving it, so in deference to their wishes we had to put it off. As soon as it is possible to deal with them they will be dealt with.
Arising out of that, might I inquire then when it is proposed to take the Appropriation Bill and how many days it is proposed to sit next week?
Next week?
How many days and when?
I suppose two days at least. If it is necessary to sit three days, we will have to sit three days.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?
Yes.
Might I inquire what is the position in regard to the publication of the reports? The report of the proceedings of this House for Wednesday last only reached Senators this morning and the report of the debate on Thursday has not yet reached us. It leaves everybody at a serious handicap when they have not got what was said on Committee Stage in dealing with the Report Stage. I wonder, a Chathaoirleach, if any rearrangement can be made in order to ensure that these reports which, once upon a time before automation was as common as it now is, came out on Saturday, can come out within a reasonable time?
The report of Thursday's debate is available but the Chair is considering this matter all the time and seeking to get these reports out much earlier than they have been coming out. The Chair is also aware that there are difficulties with the printers but I believe that these difficulties are being got over and that we can look forward to an earlier issue of the reports than we have experienced in the past.
I accept the Chair's undertaking.