Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Mar 1976

Vol. 83 No. 16

Social Welfare Bill, 1976: Motion for Earlier Signature.

Mr. M.D. Higgins

I move:

That, pursuant to subsection 2º of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concur with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Social Welfare Bill, 1976, on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.

This becomes necessary because one section of the Bill relates to the points system which is to come into operation on 31st March, 1976. This is to enable the President to sign the Bill in the period required.

Mr. Yeats

I suppose I should congratulate the Government. This is the first time I can remember when we were given an explanation as to why this early signature was needed. We now have an explanation for which I am grateful. I suggest that this is happening far too often. It is eight weeks since the budget took place. I thought it would have been possible to produce this Bill early enough to allow for it to be processed in the usual way. Certainly under this Government one gets the impression that these rushes to the President for early signature are becoming almost a matter of course. One almost expects it to happen with a Bill. I agree to it on this occasion.

Mr. Cluskey

On a point of explanation, this is the first time I have had any experience of this type of procedure. The explanation is that by agreement between the Opposition and the Government the House did not sit at all during St. Patrick's week and normally we would have had the business through the Seanad and the Bill completed in time not to need this particular provision. So it is not a question of lackadaisical delay. It is a question of a week which we thought would be available in the other House for discussion of the Bill, but by agreement, between Fianna Fáil and the Government no sitting was held.

Mr. Yeats

The Seanad did sit that week.

Mr. Cluskey

It had to be passed in the Dáil before it could be brought in here.

Question put and agreed to.

Business suspended at 1.35 p.m. and resumed at 2.30.