It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 10, 1 and 2.
Order of Business.
I want to raise a matter in relation to the Order of Business which was referred to on the last two occasions on which we met. This day fortnight I asked the Leader of the House if he could give any indication as to when he is likely to take the motion in my name and that of Senator Desmond, that is, motion No. 19. It was also raised last Wednesday by Senator Robinson. I should like to appeal to the Leader of the House in this regard. The motion was tabled on the day on which the report was circulated: it could not have been done any earlier. I do not want to appear to be asking that my motion should take precedence over anybody else's, but it is particularly important to every woman worker in this country that this matter be treated very seriously and debated. The time set for the introduction of the recommendation is January, 1972. Therefore, it is very important that this House be given the opportunity of debating this report before the Employer-Labour Conference meets in 1972, and I appeal to the Leader of the House to inform us if he has it included in his programme of business to be taken between now and the Recess. If he has not, perhaps the House would consider giving a special session to the taking of this motion. I cannot stress sufficiently how urgent it is. I am quite confident that there are many Members of this House on both sides who would want to debate this matter.
Senator Owens seemed to feel that she might possibly be putting herself in the position of seeking to press her own motion at the expense of others. In connection with that, while I also recognise that there are several motions of importance on the Order Paper, I subscribe to the view that motion No. 19, in the names of Senators Owens and Desmond, is a motion of considerable importance and of considerable urgency. It is one which the House should go out of its way, if necessary, to take at an early date.
I am delighted that such an important motion as No. 10 is being taken today, but I should like to register my protest that this is the first notice that I have had of the fact that this motion is being taken today. It is a pity that it could not have been indicated more clearly in the literature given to us on the morning of the debate.
The Leader of the House did mention it this day week.
I am sure the Seanad will agree that I am doing my best to deal with these motions. I cannot give any undertaking at the moment in relation to the motion in which Senator Owens is interested, but I shall look into it and see what can be done.