Before we proceed to section 14 I think we should talk about the time schedule for next week. Thursday will be out because the Committee of Public Accounts will be sitting then. Is that not so?
Procedure
If I get two Thursdays, tomorrow and next week, I think I would be able to be clear with the current accounts.
Thursday is not very satisfactory for some other members and I would like to confine our activities, if possible, to Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
What about Thursday morning?
Not this Thursday or the Thursday afterwards. As regards next week, is there any objection to the same time schedule we had this week, which was 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday?
I will try to fit in but let me say on behalf of one of my colleagues anyway that he feels very strongly, that the pressure of two meetings in succession is too much.
As against that, if this was being dealt with in the House the situation would be far worse in the sense that it would be a much longer session, a continuous session on a Bill of this nature. I am trying to give some sort of a half-day break so people have at least that time. If we weaken on this Bill now we will be months at the wretched thing. I am proposing that we sit from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. next Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. next Wednesday.
I appreciate all the pressures. As we go along the system may be better understood and the discussion may not be so lengthy, but at the present rate of going it could take us up to 15 weeks to process the Bill. Having regard to the urgency of having it through before the commencement of the next tax year I wonder would there be any prospect of having two sessions next Wednesday, in the morning and the afternoon?
All I can say to that is what I said at the beginning, that we are completely in your hands and we will try to co-operate with you in this. As an Opposition particularly we feel we are almost called upon to abdicate our functions, but we are relying completely on what we know we will get—a very clear indication of points where there is divergence, where there is something more than consolidation, or where problems arise. In this spirit we are willing to co-operate. Speaking for myself I have no objection but I am in the difficult position that three of my colleagues who are senior to me in status in this matter are on the Committee.
What about meeting on Mondays and Fridays? Will Fianna Fáil meet us on that?
The Committee will have to decide now.
In the meantime it is Tuesday 24th from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. and on Wednesday, 25th, 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. What time would it be on Wednesday afternoon?
Are we meeting on Wednesday afternoon?
Yes. From 3.30 p.m. until 6.30 p.m.
That would be 5½ hours.
There would be a lunch break. May we proceed with amendment No. 4 from the Minister?