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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Jun 1983

Vol. 101 No. 3

Joint Committee on Legislation: Motion.

I move:

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Standing Orders,

(1) A Bill, not being a Money Bill, having passed its Second Stage may on motion made by the Leader of the House be referred, with the concurrence of Dáil Éireann, to the Joint Committee on Legislation.

(2) On Motion made in the Seanad, in the case of a Bill originating in the Dáil, to concur with the Dáil on the expediency of referring a Bill to the Joint Committee on Legislation the debate shall be confined to the general principle of the Bill.

(3) Amendments may be made to the Motion referred to in paragraph (2) by deleting all or some of the words and substituting words which state some special reason against accepting the general principle of the Bill or for postponing reference of the Bill to the Joint Committee.

(4) The provisions of Standing Orders 85-89 shall apply to the consideration of a Bill in the Joint Committee on Legislation (or any sub-committee thereof to which consideration of the Bill may be referred) as they would apply to the consideration of a Bill in Special Committee.

(5) The report of the Joint Committee on Legislation upon every Bill referred to it shall be set down for Report Stage in the originating House.

(6) In the case of a Bill originating in the Dáil the Third Stage of which has been dealt with in the Joint Committee on Legislation (or a sub-committee thereof), the Bill shall on its receipt in the Seanad after being passed by the Dáil be set down for Report Stage, the First, Second and third Stages being waived.

I see no difficulty here. This is an implementation of paragraph (1) (e) of motion No. 5 which we have just agreed.

I follow the intention of the motion but if the Dáil decides to refer a Bill to this legislative committee and the motion to that effect comes before the Seanad, can we have a full Second Stage debate on the principles of the Bill?

I made it clear in my introduction that on the concurrence motion this House will have all the powers that it has on a Second Reading. It will have the power to withhold concurrence for a stated reason just in the same manner as it can now withhold consent to a Second Reading. Equally, when it comes back to this House ultimately on Report, the powers of this House to recommit a Bill or a section for valid reasons are not impaired.

Question put and agreed to.
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