To-day's business is item No. 1 from now until 6 p.m., with a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. it is proposed to discuss item No. 48.
Order of Business.
I would also point out that, as we are starting at 10.30 a.m. this week, Matters of Concern to Members will be announced after the sos later on in the afternoon.
I would like to ask the Leader of the House when we can expect item No. 47 to be debated. I understood from him last week that it would be taken this week. This does not appear to have happened. This is the debate on the request that the Government set up a Press Council.
As it is so early, we are not as sharp as we used to be.
Perhaps I am getting sharper.
May I ask the Leader of the House if he could be a bit more precise about the amount of work we have coming before us from now until the end of the term? Indeed, I would like him to specify when we are going to terminate this session. What is the amount of work? I know we are somewhat influenced by what is coming through from the other House. We would like to have a better idea of what the arrangement of work is likely to be over the next number of weeks. We would also like an assurance that we will not find ourselves at the end of the term with a backload that is simply going to be subjected to what you, a Chathaoirligh, euphemistically call "an allocation of time", but which we like to refer to as the guillotine. At this time of the year I am afraid the guillotine works at an extra rate. I would prefer to get come clear idea at this stage.
I would like to concur with Senator Upton's request in regard to item No. 47. The question of balance in the media is a particularly opposite one, given the takeover of RTE by the Government Information Services for the last two weeks.
I know that Senator McKenna wishes to congratulate Cork, but perhaps that could be ruled out of order.
No congratulations on the Order of Business, please.
Item No. 47 will be dealt with before the summer recess. I answered questions about the list of legislation yesterday. Senator Costello has come back in again today and talks about the guillotine. At present we are sitting at least one day extra a week and possibly two. With all due respects——
(Interruptions.)
I would say to the two Senators that on the question of the Electoral Bill even a hint of a suggestion of a guillotine is totally out of order in my view. This Bill has been given more time — and rightly so — but for the Senator to stand up on the Order of Business for two days in a row and suggest that a guillotine might be put on this particular Bill is unjustified.
What about a guillotine on something else?
The Leader is replying. We are talking about today's Order of Business. The Leader, without interruption, please.
I thank the Whips and the leaders of the other parties for agreeing that there will be extra sittings on the legislative programme between now and the summer recess. For the last two weeks I have outlined several Bills that we will deal with before the summer recess. I will keep the House fully informed of the legislative programme of the Government, as it goes along. I also said that it is very likely that we will be sitting right to the end of July.
Order of Business agreed to.