My colleagues have told me that they did not agree to a meeting today.
Business of Committee
Business of Committee.
I said that we would meet on the first day back.
The Chairman said that the meeting would be held on the 13th.
Yes, on the assumption that that would be the first day back, but I saw no point in bringing us back in the middle of the vacation.
It is my opinion that the purposes of the committee are best served by our adjourning for a week, and I propose that.
The arrangement as I understood it, was that we would meet on the 13th, which was to be the first sitting day. It so happens that the next ten sections to be dealt with are not controversial. The first six deal with wildlife dealing and the next four with the import and export of fauna and flora. In other words, the next ten sections are formal and can be dealt with today without any great study. I know that there is general demand among the voluntary organisations for this Bill. They are aware that it was to be taken up again today and I understand that some of them are here in a representative capacity and with all due respect I suggest that we deal with these today.
Some of my colleagues who are involved in this important legislation are required in the Dáil this afternoon. I would definitely give an undertaking that we would be as co-operative as possible to ensure that this Wildlife Bill can be passed as speedily as possible through this Committee. I would ask the Minister and the Chairman to agree to an adjournment of this debate.
If there were any difficult sections here I would consider it.
We have two members who cannot be here today because they had noted down the 13th for this committee meeting and they had no note in their diaries for today. I appreciate what the Minister says about people who might come, but it we want to be sure that we are going to accommodate people who are anxious to hear our deliberations we should be most careful that our own internal arrangements are correct. I suggest that we agree to remain here until about 4.30 p.m. or 4.45 p.m. and work as expeditiously as we can.
I suggest that it would be reasonable to deal with Part III. We have had a lot of preliminary discussions which are taking up a lot of time. I appreciate the difficulties of Deputies who are involved in many other things—and I am in the same position—but we have to get Bills through the House.
I would rather put a time on it than have the actual order of the Bill.
Normally we sit for two hours and, if we can finish before the end of the two hours, well and good.
I suggest we sit for one hour and I ask you to accept that suggestion. We will get down to business now and who knows what we may achieve inside one hour?
What the Chairman has suggested is acceptable to me. There are ten sections involved and I think I can assure the Committee there is nothing involved in any of these.
The Minister saying "there is nothing involved" tends, I think, to reduce the whole Committee process to an inferior position which it does not deserve. There is no knowing what may come out. I know it all looks rather—I will not say harmless—acceptable and it would appear there should not be anything very controversial in it but I do not like the implication that we will be here for any period of time just for the purpose of rubber stamping something or for the purpose of just being here. The best way to proceed is, I think, to say that we agree on a certain length of time and whether or not we achieve more or less what we hoped initially, let that be the position then at the expiration of an hour.
I would respectfully propose that we sit until six o'clock or until we dispose of these sections.
No. We reject that entirely.
This is not a controversial Bill and it is coming to the time of the year when the Department require the machinery, as I am sure the Deputy is aware, in respect of certain conservation areas.
It is now four o'clock. We will split the difference and say 5.30.
We are all in the same boat.
My position is that I have to prepare my contribution on the Second Stage of the Water Pollution Bill and, as well as that, there is a meeting at five o'clock to prepare amendments for Committee Stage. The Water Pollution Bill may come on at any moment.
It is highly unlikely.
I am placed in a very awkward position indeed.
I do not think we have very much controversial matter in these sections. Could we proceed now?
Until five o'clock.
We are dealing with section 45. Amendments Nos. 20, 22 and 23 are related and may be discussed together.
Until 5.15 p.m., Mr. Chairman.
Right, 5.15 p.m.
Wildlife Bill, 1975 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed).