Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 1969

Vol. 66 No. 6

Official Report: Statement by Senator.

Dr. Sheehy Skeffington

Before the Order of Business I should like with your permission to raise the matter of the inadequacy of the report of our commemorative session of the First Dáil in which I put a question to the Taoiseach as to whether he foresaw any likelihood in the near future of implementing the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil, or whether he thought it would continue to remain largely a dead letter. The report of the session simply says:

Chuir an Seanadóir Mac Síthigh-Sceimhealtún isteach ar na cúrsaí i mBéarla.

I am suggesting that this is inadequate for two reasons: first, the question was put in English and I was ruled out of order by you in English yet what I said is not reported; now, the Order of the Day contained the business both in Irish and in English. It said in English, for instance: "Address on the occasion of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of the First Dáil Éireann, 21st January, 1919". That is on the Order of the Day for the Seanad. I feel that (a) my question should have been reported as given in English, or at any rate that (b), if it had to be in Irish, what I asked should have been translated into Irish.

The second point that somewhat disturbs me is the reference to this "Seanadóir Mac Síthigh-Sceimhealtún". I have looked at the list of Senators and I do not find any Sceimhealtún there. I have consulted Dinneen and I find that "sceimheamhail" means handsome, blooming, comely, ornamental. I was quite happy with that until I saw the next word is "sceimhleadh", which means a skirmish, a bickering, a pursuit, a worrying, a torturing, a terror, a dread. If there really is such a Senator, this is a matter to be deplored.

I also feel that when a Senator signs his name in Irish it should be given in Irish, but when he signs his name in English, and it appears on the list in English, it should on all occasions appear in English. It would be rightly resented if a Senator who signed his name in Irish found himself in the English text reported in the English form of his name. I am saying that just in case "Sceimhealtún" is meant to represent Skeffington.

Tomás Ó Maoláin

I did not read the Official Report of the Seanad debate on that particular session but had I done so I would have written to the Editor of Debates and protested strongly against the inclusion of any reference to the boorish interruption by Senator Sceimhealtún, or whatever he likes to call himself, on that occasion.

Mr. McHugh

I was sitting behind Senator Sheehy Skeffington on that day and I do not think his interruption was boorish. He was acknowledged by the Chairman in my hearing. I heard the Cathaoirleach ruling him out of order, and he sat down immediately. I do not think, despite what the Leader of the House might say, that there was anything boorish about that interruption.

An Cathaoirleach

I thank Senator Sheehy Skeffington for giving me notice of his intention to raise this matter. The position is that on 15th January, 1969, the Seanad formally agreed to the recommendations made by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges in relation to the proceedings governing the special sitting of the Seanad on 21st January, 1969. Two of those recommendations were:—

(1) the Leas-Chathaoirleach was the only member to speak on behalf of the Seanad, and

(2) the proceedings were to be conducted in Irish.

Accordingly, pursuant to the Order of the House, I had no alternative but to rule that Senator Sheehy Skeffington was out of order and to instruct that his intervention should be recorded as it appears in the Official Report. With regard to the question of the Irish form of his name I will undertake to have that matter corrected in the Official Report to the correct version.

Dr. Sheehy Skeffington

I thank you. If I might just make a point, I was not trying to make a speech, but merely to ask a question arising out of the Taoiseach's speech.