Before we resume the business, I should like to record that I had some reservations about dealing with the Central Bank Bill at 2.30 and it was agreed that we should continue discussing the HEA Bill for some time after 2.30 p.m. It now appears that it is going far beyond what I anticipated. I wonder if we should postpone this and get going on to what we originally intended, or if there is any likelihood that we would finish this within any sort of reasonable time.
Business of Seanad.
May I raise a point. The system of bells in this House is not functioning at present and a number of Senators were caught out. Neither the bells in the restaurant nor in the Members' Bar were ringing.
The matter will be examined. As regards the point raised by the Leader of the House, the Order of Business was fixed this morning. Now it is open to the House to agree to vary the Order of Business. Is there any objection? Is it the suggestion of the Leader of the House that we should now embark on the Central Bank Bill, Committee Stage, and resume the Higher Education Authority Bill after that is finished?
The only thing that is worrying me is, could I be assured that this would be finished within a reasonable time, and that we should be able to deal with the Central Bank Bill tonight? I should be prepared to agree to that.
There is no matter before the House. The Order of Business was fixed this morning. If the Leader of the House is proposing to vary the Order of Business that is another matter but at the moment we have no proposals before us to discuss.
It was understood on this side of the House this morning that it was agreed that we sit until 10 o'clock tonight. There are four amendments to go, and surely it can be anticipated—though I can understand Senator Ó Maoláin's reluctance to anticipate anything because this has gone slower than we all had hoped— that we should be finished this before tea?
I should like to remind the Leader of the House that usually the Finance Bill, Second Stage, takes two or three days and I cannot see how we are running behind time. We are a day ahead on the week's schedule.
There is nothing before the House at the moment other than Report Stage of the Higher Education Authority Bill.