It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 5, in that order. It might be of assistance if I mention that it is proposed to meet tomorrow, and tomorrow's Order of Business will be settled tomorrow. At the moment it is intended to take Nos. 8 and 9, the EEC motions, at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow because the Minister for Foreign Affairs will be available. If today's business is not finished it is proposed that we should resume after the EEC motions tomorrow.
Order of Business.
I should like to ask the Leader of the House if he would make the time of the House available at the earliest opportunity to discuss Motion No. 27. It is a motion of great significance to the livelihood of a large number of people. In my county alone, County Galway, 76.6 per cent of the farms of that county will be affected by the implementation of this directive.
I am afraid it is not possible to discuss the merits of the motion.
Just to make a point, a Chathaoirleach, if you will bear with me a moment.
It is not possible to make a point if it is out of order, Senator. You are entitled to talk about the urgency and the suitability of the debate but not the merits.
What I would suggest then is that at the earliest convenient time, which I would hope would be at the next meeting of the Seanad, the Leader of the House would facilitate the House with a discussion on this important matter. I think this is a much sorer blow than that of the Mansholt plan because it affects the livelihood of a great number of people, 36 per cent of the population.
I wish to support Senator Killilea in this, but I do not wish to say anything further at this stage.
On a point of order, I feel that the Members' motions are growing in number. We must make some effort to have days set apart for them. I know we had this hopeful aspiration, but we have not succeeded —let us be practical about it. I think we should refer the matter to the Committee for discussion as to what specific time can be allocated. For instance, Motion No. 15 is already running out of time. It will be irrerunning out of time. It will be irrelevant after this year's budget. It has been on the Order Paper for nine months. Similarly, Senator Killilea's and my motion on the farm modernisation scheme is a very urgent one. There are other motions down and there is no point in letting the list grow. I feel that the Committee should meet with a view to having specific days set apart for motions.
I do not think we have been doing too badly as regards motions as compared with the last Seanad. I know Senator Lenihan was not here. He is probably not fully aware of the difficulties we encountered in the last Seanad. I do not think we have been doing too badly. We have not been doing as well, possibly, as we might. Perhaps we should have another look at the scheme that was proposed at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. It might be better to see how far we can adhere to it.
As regards Motion No. 15, I agree with Senator Lenihan that it is probably getting a little bit out of date. He may not be aware of the fact that we did at some fairly considerable trouble make time for it and arrange for the Minister to be available. The proposers of the motion then told us that they did not wish to go ahead with it. If they did not go ahead with it on that occasion I do not think that can be laid at my door.
As regards Senator Killilea's plea for Motion No. 27, I do not mind saying to him and to the Senators generally it is my own feeling—and I have been trying to pursue this—that it would be right that one of the motions from the Opposition party should be taken next. Tomorrow we will be taking motions which will fill the March quota. We are trying to arrange that one of the Fianna Fáil motions, Nos. 23, 26 or 27, will be taken in April, but Senators will appreciate that largely it is a question of the availability of the Minister on the particular days we are meeting. We cannot forecast precisely when a Minister will be available for a particular motion, but we are already trying to arrange matters so that one of those three motions will be taken early in April?
Did the Leader of the House say early in April?
As early as we can.
If the Leader of the House will say early in April and make it definite——
I should like to. I am not trying to dodge the issue, but I am not in a position to be definite about this because we have to try to arrange it for days when Ministers will be available. But it is our aim to get it early in April.
If you could, as early as possible in April.