It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Order Paper.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Leader of the House if I am correct in assuming that the Marriages Bill, 1972, was ordered for tomorrow week rather than this day week?
Wednesday.
I thought that accidentally it was fixed for the Thursday. It would seem more suitable to be taken on the Wednesday. That is the reason I raised the point. The Chair says I am right that it was ordered for Thursday. I wonder if we could rearrange that by agreement now?
We need not take it next week.
Are we sitting next week?
That might depend on something that occurs today somewhere else.
On the Order of Business, I should like the Marriages Bill, 1972, to be taken next week.
Does the Senator wish that the Bill be taken today?
No, next week. There has been a slight misunderstanding. The Second Reading was taken last Thursday and I inadvertently asked that the Committee Stage be taken a fortnight from that day, which would be a Thursday.
We are discusing the Order of Business for today. It is open to anyone to ask the Leader of the House if he thinks we will be meeting next week. The House cannot agree to meet next week at this stage.
I should appreciate it if the House could meet. I made an inadvertent statement last week.
If the Leader of the House considers that we should meet next week it is open to us to discharge the order taking the Marriages Bill, 1972, next Thursday and fixing it instead for next Wednesday. If the Seanad decides not to meet next Wednesday there is no harm done. We can carry it over to the following week.
It is certainly not intended that the Seanad should meet next Thursday. I doubt if it will be feasible to meet next Wednesday. Therefore I suggested that the Marriages Bill, 1972, need not be taken next week. It could be taken on the next sitting day.