It is proposed to order items Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, as on the Order Paper and to suspend the sitting from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. Item No. 1 is the Report Stage of the Building Societies (Amendment) Bill. Item No. 2 is the return to this House of the electoral Bill with an amendment from Dáil Éireann, which will be considered by us on Report Stage. When these two have been disposed of we will then proceed to the Second Stage of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill. It is proposed in conjunction with the debate on Second Stage, that item No. 4, which is an affirmation by this House in regard to neutrality and in regard to cohesion, should be debated at the same time, and also that item No. 5, the noting of the Report of the Joint Committee on the Single European Act, should be debated on Second Stage. Accordingly, when the Second Stage is concluded, these two motions, Nos. 4 and 5, will be moved without debate. If, in fact, items Nos. 1 to 5, are concluded before 8 p.m., No. 6 will be taken up, but not otherwise.
Order of Business.
I understand there was agreement among the Whips that item No. 6 would be taken at 8 p.m. I may be wrong, but that is the information I received. I had made preparations because I am dealing with the National Monuments (Amendment) Bill. It is an inconvenience if it does not come up at 8 p.m.
I wanted to say that, in view of the recent Supreme Court ruling, it is imperative that we deal with the National Monuments (Amendment) Bill fairly urgently. It is quite a while sitting on the Order Paper.
Early last week I gave an indication of how I thought the business might be handled between now and the end of the session. There have been some disturbances to that. Perhaps I should report to the House in regard to the Status of Children Bill which I indicated I hoped would be passed. Already, in response to what the Seanad said on Committee Stage, 75 amendments were drafted. Unfortunately the official in charge went on sick leave. The remaining 15 amendments, or so, have not been drafted so it is unlikely that that Bill will be taken. I have asked the Leaders of the Whips of the groups to meet with me this afternoon at 4 o'clock so that we can discuss the rearrangement of the business in order to agree how far we can advance our business. Certainly, it would be the intention of all groups that the National Monuments (Amendment) Bill be advanced as far as possible and that, for example, the Air Pollution Bill, which has been with us since last February, should be cleared.
One of the points that will be discussed will be the question of whether we will take up the National Monuments (Amendment) Bill tonight, or whether there would be any possibility of sitting to complete the Second Stage of the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill. I must emphasise that if, at any time, I give to this House any indication of what is the tentative programme of business, it is in order to assist the House and can never be considered as a guarantee. I regret, that, if at any time in attempting to assist the House in this way, I end up by hindering Senators.