I move:
That the Order of 26th July, 1973, relating to the Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities be amended by the addition of the following paragraph:—
(4) That every report which the Joint Committee proposes to make under this order shall on adoption by the Joint Committee be laid before the Seanad forthwith whereupon the Joint Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.
This can be regarded as an agreed motion. Under the existing procedure, before a Committee appointed by the House can print or publish their report, they must obtain the approval of the House to do so.
In the case of the Joint Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities, they may wish to make reports from time to time. It may well be that the reports would be of a comparatively urgent nature and if one of the Houses was not in session at the time it would be necessary to wait until the House met again in order to give the approval. It was suggested that the Committee might be enabled to have the report printed in such circumstances, and it was considered by our Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I understand from the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges that this authority should be given. I understand also, that a motion similar to this is being moved in the Dáil today.