STANDING ORDERS. - PASSING OF BILLS.
60. When a Bill is to be introduced into the Dáil a copy shall be handed to the Clerk of the Dáil, and its title, and a short description of its purpose, prepared by the proposers and accepted by the Ceann Comhairle, shall appear on the Agenda. The Teachta giving notice shall move for leave to introduce the Bill. This motion may be debated but no amendment shall be moved. If leave to introduce the Bill is granted such Bill shall be printed and sent to all Teachtaí.
SECOND STAGE.
61. When a Bill has been so introduced and circulated, notice of motion shall be given for its second reading. Amendments may be moved on the Second Reading Debate but the Ceann Comhairle shall select for submission to the Dáil not more than three proposed amendments which will test the feeling of the Dáil in regard to the General Principle of the Bill. The other proposed amendments he shall not allow to be moved on the motion for a Second Reading unless so directed by the Dáil. So soon as a Bill shall have been circulated a Teachta may hand to the Clerk notice of any amendments he wishes to propose. Such amendments shall be put in order by the Ceann Comhairle, those which he selects for submission to the Dáil being first, and shall be printed on the Agenda for the day on which the Second Reading is to be proposed.
THIRD STAGE.
62. A Bill which has passed its Second Reading shall be referred to a Committee for detailed consideration or shall be so considered by the Dáil, sitting in Committee. In the Committee stage a Bill must be voted on clause by clause, and not as a whole. Any clause may be amended or deleted in Committee and new clauses may be inserted.
63. When a Bill shall have passed its Second Reading the Dáil shall without notice or debate decide whether it shall be referred to the Dáil sitting in Committe or to a special Committee. If it be referred to a Special Committee the Dáil shall decide without debate the number of Teachtaí who shall serve upon such Committee, shall appoint their Chairman, and decide what number shall constitute a quorum.
64. In the case of a Bill referred to a Special Committee, notice of all proposed amendments must be handed in to the Clerk of the Dáil within three day's. Notice may be given by any Teachta, but only members of the Committee may move amendments. All proposed amendments shall be arranged in order and printed and circulated to the Dáil.
65. When a Bill is to be considered by the Dáil sitting in Committee, proposed amendments shall be notified in due time and shall be arranged by the Ceann Comhairle in proper order and shall appear on the Agenda of the Dáil on those days on which the Dáil in Committee is to consider the clauses to which the amendments refer.
66. The Dáil shall go into Committee without question put whenever it reaches business on the Agenda which requires to be considered in Committee. When the Dáil is in Committee business may not be stopped if less than a quorum is present, save when a vote is to be taken.
67. When a Bill is being considered in Committee the motion to be made in respect of each clause shall be that the clause shall stand part of the Bill Amendments to the clause may then be moved. When any clause is moved a Teachta may move as an amendment that a new clause be inserted before it in the Bill. This amendment shall be taken first, and, if passed, the new clause proposed shall become the subject of the motion. The original motion shall not be extinguished, by the passage of such an amendment, but shall only be postponed.
68. A Committee in considering a Bill may at any time adjourn, but Motions to adjourn deemed by the Ceann Comhairle to be obstructive shall not be accepted. The Dáil sitting in Committee may adjourn consideration of a Bill and take up other business on the Agenda for the day. But dilatory or obstructive Motions to adjourn shall not be accepted. The consideration of the preamble of a Bill in Committee may be deferred until the clauses have been considered.
69. When the last clause and preamble (if any) of a Bill shall have been considered in Committee, the Bill shall at once be returned to the Dáil
FOURTH STAGE.
70. When a Bill has been returned from a Special Committee or from the Dáil sitting in Committee, notice shall be given of a Motion to receive the Bill for final consideration. In the fourth stage debate amendments may be moved, including amendments by the proposers of the Bill. If the Dáil desires it may refer the Bill back to the Committee or to the Dáil siting in Committee with an instruction that specified clauses be reconsidered.
71. After the Dáil has received a Bill from Committee, and such Bill has passed the fourth stage debate, it shall be put forward for final consideration.
72. When a Bill shall come forward for final consideration it shall be moved "that the Bill do now pass." and no amendments of the Bill shall be permitted save such as are of a purely verbal character, and of which due notice shall have been given.