I beg to request that the consideration of the Order Paper may be suspended to discuss a matter of urgent public importance, that is to say, to call attention to the action of the Minister for Finance in setting up a Committee to report into the working of the Health Insurance Acts without including in its membership any representative of the persons insured or likely to come within the scope of the Health Insurance Acts. It is urgent because of the fact that has come to my notice that the Committee has already been set up and has begun to discuss its procedure, and it is certainly of public importance inasmuch as the future of several hundred thousand people under sickness has been discussed without any consideration being given to the representation of such people upon the Committee. I submit that it is urgent and of public importance, and I beg to ask the leave of the Dáil to discuss it, under Standing Order 21.
QUESTIONS ON THE ADJOURNMENT.
I am afraid that in such a matter as the constitution of a Commission, the recommendations of which must come before the Dáil and must be given legislative effect to before they could have any validity, could not be considered a matter of sufficient urgency to allow the consideration of the Order Paper to be suspended under Standing Order 21. Could the Deputy raise it on the adjournment?
I will raise it in the ordinary course on the adjournment.
It was my intention to give notice to raise a matter on the adjournment. I would like to know if Deputy Byrne has precedence of me, because he raised his matter before the end of Questions.
There is a very intricate question of precedence here. Deputy Johnson raised his matter under Standing Order 21 before Deputy Byrne spoke, but as between Deputy Byrne and Deputy Johnson it seems to me that Deputy Johnson's point is a more definite and clear thing for raising on the adjournment.
Deputy Johnson's motion is to suspend the Orders of the Day.
He failed on that.
Deputy Johnson has failed to get the consent of the Chair to apply Standing Order 21.
I will suspend my action on this matter in deference to other Deputies, because I will take a full opportunity of discussing it on the Estimate for the Ministry of Finance.
There is now the matter that Deputy Byrne wants to raise.
It is the matter of the dismissal of civilian employees in the Government service from various Departments to make room for others.
In what Departments?
Customs watchers at the North Wall. I may say it applies generally. I am told that there are 1,200 of them likely to go in the near future.
Is the question confined to the Customs service?
Yes.
Because the Deputy could also do that on the Estimate for the Revenue Commissioners' salaries, for example.
I do not want to take up the time of the Dáil on the matter if there is anything more urgent. If I can get an opportunity of raising this within the next week I will be quite satisfied.
The question of the employment of persons in the Customs service would, of course, come into consideration when money is being asked for the Customs service. That would be the Deputy's real opportunity, I think, rather than to take it on the adjournment now, since we are bound to have all the Estimates within the next fortnight.
My difficulty is this, that the notice to these men to cease their employment will be up next week.
Am I ruled out?
Unless Deputy Byrne gives way you are ruled out.
What is the subject?
I wish to give notice that I will raise on the adjournment the matter of the seizure of live stock from the farmers of Kilroe, Ballylooby, Cahir, in July, 1923, and the failure of the Ministry to make any return to the owners of the stock.
I am sure the Deputy could bring that in under some suitable Estimate if he examines the Estimates.
I have no doubt I could bring it in on the Estimate of the Ministry of Justice, but I think it would probably take a little longer than would be advisable at that stage.
I am taking Deputy Byrne's question on the Adjournment.