I beg to move the Second Reading of the Local Elections Postponement (Amendment) Bill. This Bill, as is obvious to everybody, does not necessarily of itself postpone the Local Government elections beyond January 1st: all it does is to give power to do so if circumstances make it necessary. The fact that the new register will not be in force by that date, the fact that a large portion of the current rate is still outstanding, and that an election held at present would give an excuse to defaulters for withholding payment still longer and thus put an unfair burden on newly elected bodies, and also the fact that several emergency measures, such as the Local Authorities Indemnity Bill which, amongst other things, protects local authorities from surcharges for acts done under the authority of the old Dáil are reasons why this Bill should, if possible, be passed before asking people to incur the responsibility of seeking election to these public bodies. All these facts constitute, I believe, a sufficient argument for not having the Local Government elections before January 1st, even if Deputies were agreed that the Christmas holidays is a convenient time to hold such elections. One Deputy complained that this election is hanging like the Sword of Damocles over the heads of the representatives of local bodies, but it might be well for all of us occasionally to reflect that that is a condition incidental to public life in general, and is not confined to representatives of local bodies.
Another Deputy has complained that in this Bill no mention has been made of a change in the franchise. Now, such a change is one of the most fundamental and revolutionary acts that any Government can undertake, and would cut right across the whole field of local government administration. Before making such a change, it should certainly be very well weighed and long considered. For me, at this stage, to introduce such a revolutionary measure in this perfunctory manner, after being scarcely a month in office, would amount to little less than an insult to every Deputy. This Bill is a purely emergency measure. It is not intended in any way to be contentious, and I hope to get it through without any opposition. That being so, it would be very illogical for me to confuse the issue by introducing any contentious matter.