On a point of order, at this stage would we not be as well off if we were outside the gate with placards——
Local Elections (Petitions and Disqualifications) Bill, 1974: Fifth Stage.
Question put: "That the Bill do now pass."
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
That is not a point of order. The question is being put to the House.
(Interruptions.)
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
Order, please.
The Seanad divided: Tá, 26; Níl, 15.
Tá
- Barrett, Jack.
- Blennerhassett John.
- Burton, Philip.
- Butler, Pierce.
- Deasy, Austin.
- Farrelly, Denis.
- Fitzgerald, Jack.
- Halligan, Brendan.
- Higgins, Michael D.
- Iveagh, The Earl of.
- Kennedy, Fintan.
- Kerrigan, Patrick.
- Kilbride, Thomas.
- Lyons, Michael Dalgan.
- McAuliffe, Timothy.
- McCartin, John Joseph.
- Markey, Bernard.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- O'Brien, Andy.
- O'Brien, William.
- O'Higgins, Michael J.
- O'Toole, Patrick.
- Russell, George Edward.
- Sanfey, James W.
- Walsh, Mary.
- Whyte, Liam.
Níl
- Aylward, Bob.
- Brennan, John J.
- Brosnan, Seán.
- Browne, Patrick (Fad).
- Cowen, Bernard.
- Dolan, Séamus.
- Eachthéirn, Cáit Uí
- Garrett, Jack.
- Hanafin, Des.
- Keegan, Seán.
- Killilea, Mark.
- Lenihan, Brian.
- Ryan, Eoin.
- Ryan, William.
- Yeats, Michael B.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Sanfey and Halligan; Níl, Senators W. Ryan and Garrett.
Question declared carried.
I should like to make a comment before we go on to item No. 2 on the Order Paper. I am sure the House will agree with me that some remarks were made today in regard to your good self and the Cathaoirleach. We should all like you to know that it is recognised that those remarks were made purely in the heat of discussion. I personally feel quite certain that the maker of the remarks will be very ready, on reflection, to assure you, as I do now, that you have the utmost respect of both sides of the House, as indeed has the Cathaoirleach. I feel everyone will agree that the remarks were not intended, even though possibly so framed, as being in any sense personal. I should certainly like you to know that.
I should just like to say that Senator McGlinchey, who was removed from the House on the basis of remarks he made, was expressing on behalf of Members on this side of the House a feeling of honest indignation at the manner in which this piece of legislation has been treated in this House. The approach to it was frustrated by the attitude of the Minister and the Chair. I say that without any personal animus whatever against the Chair.
Senator McGlinchey expressed indignant remarks but he did not intend them to be taken personally. This may be said about any remarks which emanated from this side of the House. As I have already stated, during the debate, this type of violence to parliamentary institutions gives rise to situations of this kind.
If Governments would stop rushing matters through Parliament, stop applying guillotine motions, stop trying to apply the jackboot and instead conform to the normal parliamentary procedures which have been well tested in parliamentary democracy over the years, and keep to these procedures except in exceptional circumstances, then business could be got through much easier. We can organise ourselves in this House if the Government of the day have good sense and realises that they have a function vis-a-vis the institutions of Parliament, in our case the Dáil and Seanad. The Government must recognise that legislation is there to be processed in a proper way, with proper amendments and consideration. If that approach had been adopted from the start, the kind of behaviour we saw today and the type of remark which was inadvertently made in regard to the Chair would not have arisen.
If any such remark was inadvertently made by any Member of our group to the Chair in any personal capacity, I, on behalf of my group, apologise. The procedure adopted by the Government gave rise to the heated situation where this type of remark was injected. The remark should not have been passed and was not intended in any personal way.
That is fair enough.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
I wish to assure Senators that the Chair does not take remarks passed in a personal way. The Chair is merely interested in the dignity of the Chair.