It is proposed to take No. 2, the B & I Line Bill. It is proposed to take Second Stage to conclude not later than 4 p.m. with a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., the remaining Stages to conclude not later than 8 p.m. with a sos between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. It is also proposed to take Item No. 3 which is a formal adoption of the Earlier Signature Motion.
Order of Business.
Once again the Leader of the House in a totally unnecessary way is ordering a guillotine. I am quite certain that this Bill will go through in the normal course today, but I object to having an Allocation of Time Motion, or a guillotine, laid down for it. I would prefer if it were left open ended until the Bill goes through. There will be co-operation. It will go through in the course of the day. On principle I do not want to see in this House the practice of the guillotine creeping in.
Could the Leader of the House tell me something about Item No. 1, the Limerick Markets Bill? It strikes me that this Bill can be dispatched fairly quickly. Why not do it before the end of this session rather than leaving it on the Order Paper for some time? It has been around for quite some time now. Also, in view of what happened in Australia last night, could the Leader comment whether he thinks the secret ballot has a future here?
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
On a point of information with regard to Item No. 1, in fact it was intended to take it this week, but due to the absence of the Cathaoirleach through a family bereavement it was not possible to take it.
On the three points raised by Senator Manning, could I just say, "ditto"?
"Me, too", as they say, in relation to the guillotine. I am beginning to think that the Leader of the House is becoming a bit cantankerous and very pugnacious as we reach the end of the term. I want to ask him also whether he has noticed the matter raised by Senator Manning, namely, the phenomenon by which the Prime Minister of Australia was "un-Hawked" by his Minister for Finance? May I ask him would he agree that this disease originated in Ireland, has spread to Australia and become more virulent there?
Mr. Farrell
Could I ask the Minister for Justice to arrange for the Garda to let us see one of those highly sophisticated cars with all this modern technology so that we in his House could tell our constituents the kind of modern stuff they have to contend with over the Christmas? In that regard I would like to pay tribute to Joe Duffy and Gay Byrne for alerting the people to the fact that this equipment is on the road and is being used extensively over the Christmas season.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House if he is aware that Minister Collins has found the answer to unemployment? He has 16 people in his constituency office in west Limerick. If we all made that kind of contribution we would put a big dent in the unemployment problem.
Why does the Senator not try it?
I would like to express my sympathy to the Cathaoirleach on his present bereavement.
I would like to say at this stage, as I said over the last number of weeks, that I take strong objection to the Leader of the House taking all Stages of a Bill on the same day or, indeed, taking more than one Stage of a Bill. I understood yesterday that the Criminal Damage Bill was not going to be pushed through all Stages yesterday but that it was going to be dealt with Stage by Stage day by day. That was my understanding. I would like the Leader of the House to correct me if that is not the case. Likewise with the B & I Bill before us, I think it is improper that we should rush through a Bill in a single day irrespective of what importance one side or other of the House puts on it. The precedent should be established once and for all that Members should get an opportunity of at least 24 hours' reflection on a Bill so that they could come back to it.
With regard to the democratic removal of Mr. Hawke in Australia, may I draw the House's attention to the fact that I visited Australia last week and I am available for the trip to Kinsealy, on request.
(Interruptions.)
With regard to the Ministerial Pensions Bill, is it the intention of the Government to introduce amendments to extend all the provisions to cover Members of the Seanad?
I, too, would like to enter into the spirit of Christmas that is being reflected on all sides of the House. Long may it continue. I am sure the House will agree with me that we should condemn outright the planting of incendiary devices in stores in Dublin and throughout the country. I am particularly concerned about one matter. An illegal organisation in the North stated that they intended to plant incendiary devices in Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo but that due to the vigilant security in that area they called it off. Would the Leader of the House please convey to the Garda in that area the gratitude and thanks from my part of the country? By their vigilance, they here averted a very calamitous situation over the Christmas.
Would the Leader convey to the Minister of the Environment my concern that in the Book of Estimates £6 million which had been initially allocated for the country road programme has now been transferred to the national primary system? Local authorities have gone through a terrible ordeal trying to strike a rate and provide services and this step is now being taken to deprive the local authorities of £6 million that is needed to ensure their survival in the coming year. I would like to convey my concern.
A number of Senators referred to a guillotine of the B & I Line Bill. I do not see it like that. We have allocated our time in an orderly and proper way. It is not a very long Bill. A full day's attention to the Bill, I believe, is sufficient. As far back as the last sitting day in November, I indicated precisely how I saw the B & I Line Bill moving from the Dáil to us and it has worked out exactly as I indicated. I said it would come to us for completion before the Christmas recess. That is exactly what is happening. We have given Senators a lot of notice exactly how this Bill would be concluded in this House. Other queries are not relevant to the Order of Business.
I have not finished with Ireland, yet——
I would like to think Senator Norris might move to other regimes where he might be of benefit. I have noted Senator Mooney's comments. I share his concern. I have also noted Senator John Ryan's observation regarding the reduction in the county roads grant. I will bring it to the attention of the Minister for the Environment.
It has gone to the National Roads Authority.
Order of Business agreed to.