I wish to refer to the terms of motion No. 3. I welcome the fact that a motion has been tabled to allow for both Government motions and, specifically in No. 3, Private Members' motions, to be taken in the House with a three-hour debate allowed. However the terminology resembles the type of motion that has covered this subject matter in previous Seanaid and it includes the phrase, "if the exigencies of business allow". I do not want in any way to make a party political point on this but it has been my experience under successive Governments that "the exigencies of business", so far as the Seanad is concerned, tends to result in one of two things; either the Seanad is meeting and taking Government business, which is wanted very urgently and therefore takes up all the time, or else we do not meet during that month.
It is extremely important from the beginning that we try to have a regular understanding in the House that time will be given every month when the Seanad sits for private business. I hope that the change from six hours to three hours for these motions will encourage the Leader of the House to make time available for them. It is not always necessary for a Minister or a Minister of State to be present for these debates. It is better that we debate a significant number of issues of public interest and allow Senators to make statements about them rather than, as has been the experience both with the previous Government and the Fianna Fáil Government before that, that Private Members' motions were the exception rather than a regular feature of the business of the Seanad. I should like to ask the Leader of the House to ensure whenever the Seanad is in session during a month that three hours will be devoted to Private Members' business, if at all possible.
