Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Feb 1971

Vol. 69 No. 10

Order of Business.

Tomás Ó Maoláin

It is proposed to take Nos. 1,2 and 3.

If the House agrees, I should like that the precedent established in the other House in connection with the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1971, be adhered to here. The question of the tribunal which forms the subject of a motion here has been mentioned and No. 1—the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1971— could encompass a debate on that tribunal. I should like to suggest to the Seanad that with the agreement of the House, if this Bill were given the same expeditious despatch as it received from the other House, the Minister's Estimate will be taken in the Dáil today or tomorrow, and he has undertaken to return to the Seanad immediately that Estimate is finished and to devote the whole day to the discussion on that motion. The debate on the Broadcasting Bill could therefore be confined to the subject with which it deals. If the House agrees, I suggest that that will be the proper procedure to adopt.

Mrs. Robinson

Are we sitting tomorrow to discuss a motion, this being the first week in which the scheme for the House sitting on one day of each month to discuss motions is in operation? Secondly, I should like to ask the Leader of the House, if the House agrees, whether under this arrangement if the Minister returns to the House to discuss the motion on the 7 Days Tribunal, would this count as a motion for next month, or would we take the motion relating to the EEC, as has been suggested?

Tomás Ó Maoláin

The Senator need have no worries about motions. If she reads the arrangement which was arrived at here by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, and confirmed by the Seanad on the last occasion, she will find out how it is proposed to take motions. This is a separate proposition altogether from the idea of another motion. I am asking for it with the idea of expediting the business of the House and to enable this Broadcasting Bill, which is a Certified Money Bill, to be despatched in the same efficient way as was done in the other House.

Mrs. Robinson

I appreciate that the Leader of the House is indicating that when the Minister comes in on the 7 Days Tribunal discussion it will not count for a motion for next month. However, my question is why are we not sitting tomorrow to discuss a motion, this being the last possible day this month under the arrangement put forward by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to discuss a motion.

Tomás Ó Maoláin

The Senator is mistaken again. We sat two days last week and on the second day there were only about five Members in the House.

Mrs. Robinson

There was no motion taken for discussion, as had been arranged.

An Cathaoirleach

The Chair would remind Senators that it is agreed by the House that the arrangement would begin operating in March.

Mrs. Robinson

I wish to oppose the Order of Business today on the ground that we have been told that we would have a motion for discussion at least once every month during the sitting of the Seanad.

Tomás Ó Maoláin

Senator Robinson is a work dodger. She has a nice neat little habit of coming here at three o'clock, managing until four o'clock and kicking up a row because——

(Interruptions.)

Professor Kelly

On behalf of my party I must protest at the abuse which Senator Robinson has just received from the Leader of the House.

Mr. Alexis FitzGerald

And I wholly support that.

An Cathaoirleach

I am putting the Order of Business.

Order of Business put and agreed to.