It is proposed to take Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive. If the Appropriation Bill comes from the Dáil—we anticipate that we will get it at about 5 o'clock—it is proposed to add it after No. 9. Then No. 11 will be taken, although it is unlikely that No. 11 will be reached if we get the Appropriation Bill.
Order of Business.
I should like to propose a slight amendment to the Order of Business. It is that item No. 18— motion:
That Seanad Éireann takes note of the McKinsey Report on "Defining the Role of Public Transport in a Changing Environment" laid before the Seanad on 30th September, 1971.
in the names of myself and Senator O'Brien, be taken jointly with item No. 8, the Transport (No. 2) Bill, 1974.
We are not objecting to the Order of Business, except that these matters have come to us from the Dáil and we are more than willing to deal with them.
However one must enter a protest about the way the Government have not been ordering their legislative business. As we know—and we have been criticised for it—this House has been idle since last July. A couple of days ago, in a radio broadcast, a Government Deputy had what I can only describe as the greatest impudence to complain about the lack of business in the Seanad. The reason for the lack of business was that the Government have been totally unable to produce any kind of legislative programme. Now, in the week before Christmas, we have been given a number of Bills, none of which is of fundamental importance. None of them has anything to do with the real national crisis that faces us. They are all minor matters of routine business which clearly were known to have been necessary months ago and could have been brought in then. It is typical of the utter incompetence of the way in which legislation has been carried out by this Government that we are now given these perfectly routine Bills in the week before Christmas at a time when there is no legislation of any importance to deal with the state of the country.
I should like to support Senator West's request. There is an extraordinary number of motions on today's Order Paper which may never be taken, judging by the speed at which business is being done and the frequency at which we meet. It would be a step in the right direction if the McKinsey Report, which is profoundly relevant, could be taken with the Transport Bill. In this way, we would get one motion off the Order Paper.
Senators West and Martin addressed their remarks to the Order of Business. Senator Yeats addressed his remarks to the Press.
I have not had an opportunity this morning of discussing Senator West's proposals with the Minister. I know the Minister has expressed himself as perfectly willing to have this motion taken early, and I am sure he would have no objection to having it discussed with the Transport Bill. I am, therefore, prepared to agree to that amendment.
It is agreed then that item No. 18 be added to the Order of Business.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.