I cannot establish that my decision on amendment No. 22 is correct according to Standing Orders. However, I still rule that the amendment falls.
SECTION 13.
If it is legally possible for a Member to move an amendment in the absence of the proposer, the amendment should be allowed. We should adjourn until we get a ruling on it. Otherwise the Fianna Fáil amendments will not be responded to by the Minister of State. I do not agree with many of them but if a Member goes to the trouble of putting down amendments they should be discussed.
If the Deputy wishes to move that we take that course of action and if there is no disagreement, I will accept that. I can suspend the meeting until we consult Standing Orders. However, the Deputy suggested that I allow the Deputy to move the amendments——
A Member.
I thought you were referring to yourself. I will accept a Member. The Minister of State can then offer his reply to the amendment. Is this what the Deputy is proposing?
I want the amendment to be formally moved.
I must consider the procedural point. If I allow that to happen a question arises as to what would happen if the amendment was not accepted and the Member wished to reintroduce it on Report Stage. That point concerns me.
It is possible for a Member to reintroduce an amendment which he or she had already put down on Committee Stage.
My ruling is correct. The amendment must be moved by agreement with the Member in whose name it was submitted. If Deputy Smith wished to allow another Member to move his amendment, he should notify me of that Member's name. That is the ruling under Standing Order 48 and I so rule.
Amendment No. 22 not moved.
Section 13 agreed to.
Section 14 agreed to.