I have put down the following amendment on behalf of the Committee:—
To delete all words after the word "that" in line 1, and to substitute in lieu thereof the words "Order No. 40 of the Standing Orders for Private Business be referred to the Joint Committee on Private Business to be reconsidered, and that the Joint Committee be requested to report any amendments therein which may be desirable."
Deputy Doyle's motion appeared on the Order Paper when the Joint Committee dealing with Private Bill procedure was sitting. We took the motion into consideration, and we considered it would be very desirable that if Standing Order Number 40 were to be reconsidered it should not be merely a specific instruction to us to consider it in respect of one amendment only, but we should be entitled to reconsider the whole Standing Order, and make such recommendation as we thought desirable. I would remind Deputy Doyle what the purpose of Standing Order 40 is. The promotion of a Private Bill lays it within the power of the promoters to compel private individuals, corporations, and local authorities to go to a considerable amount of expense, and, therefore, it is necessary to insert a safeguard so that no Private Bill shall be promoted by what may be described as men of straw. It is necessary that they should be men of some standing and responsibility, and Standing Order 40 provides that their plans and specifications and estimates shall be drawn up by a competent person, and the definition of that competent person is set out in the Order. All the qualifications set out there are recognised technical qualifications. The Associateship of the College of Science is also a recognised qualification. I do not want to give Deputy Doyle any pledge. In the first place, I could not pledge the Committee, and in the second place I do not want to pledge that we will accept and include the College of Science. We have had representations from it already on the subject, and they were carefully considered, and the general view was that these people ought to belong to a trade union organisation. Certainly that was the Labour view. It is quite possible that a man might have his mere college experience, and might not have any practical work. Our main interest is to get the highest possible technical qualifications. In the interests of the public as a whole, who are liable to be put to very great expense by Private Bill legislation, we are obliged to get the highest qualifications possible. Therefore I would urge the Dáil to adopt the amendment, and to let the Joint Committee go into the whole Standing Orders. The Committee can then consider and make whatever recommendations they think fit. It would then be open to Deputy Doyle to move that our recommendations be not adopted.
I think a more satisfactory result will be achieved by letting us reconsider the whole Standing Order, and formulating not only our recommendations but our reasons for the recommendations.
