I should like to ask the President whether he would be willing to forego part of the Order Paper to-day as there is a Farmers' Union Congress going on that some members on this side are anxious to attend. If the Order Paper is taken fully we will have to come back to the Dáil from the Congress. I am prepared to forego raising a question arising out of what appeared in this morning's papers, affecting the territorial integrity of Saorstát Eireann, as to the Prime Minister of another part of the country laying claim to County Donegal. I will raise it at the next meeting of the Dáil.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
If it will meet the Deputy I propose not to go beyond No. 3 on the Order Paper. However, if he objects to that I will be disposed to meet him.
Mr. HOGAN
No. 3 is a Bill I should like you to forego.
I am prepared to forego that.
I object, as the Housing Bill is required. It was to be on yesterday, but the Treason Bill was taken in its place, and now it is to be put back until next week.
In any event the Central Fund Bill must be passed through all its Stages to-day, and the discussion on it may take all the time. The President cannot forego that.
No.
If the Central Fund Bill went on until three o'clock the President would not go further?
I want to finish the Central Fund Bill to-day.
If it stops earlier you will take the Housing Bill?
Mr. HOGAN
I would ask the President not to take the Housing Bill to-day.
Very good. I would like to announce to the Dáil that I propose to move on the adjournment that we reassemble on Wednesday and sit late, if necessary, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Another Deputy asked me not to put down the Housing Bill for Tuesday. I promised, and the remaining business we would have on Tuesday would scarcely be sufficient to warrant attendance, so that I propose to ask the Dáil not to reassemble until Wednesday and to take the adjournment on Friday. The discussion on the Shannon scheme will take place on Thursday and Friday.
I would like to give notice that I will raise on the adjournment to-day the question postponed since yesterday.
In addition to items 3, 4 and 5 on the Order Paper, I would like to ask the President if he is to be considered as foregoing the disputed county that Deputy Connor Hogan referred to.
It is not in dispute as a matter of fact.
Do I understand from the President that there is no business for Tuesday next?
A request was put to me that the Housing Bill should not be considered on Tuesday. There would be business, but I propose, in view of the representations made from the Farmers' Party, that as much time as possible should be allowed them at this particular season, to sit later on Wednesday, and if necessary on Thursday and Friday, in order to do the business. There would be business on Tuesday, but I would like, as far as possible, to meet requests from Deputies and facilitate them in regard to business. The principal business for Thursday and Friday next is a resolution of which the Minister for Industry and Commerce is giving notice to-day, dealing with the Shannon scheme.
Has the President related this to his programme of legislation and financial business? Does he not see that every day taken off business now will mean a rush at the end of the session or that a good deal of the business will be left unfinished? I think it is very bad policy to continue the practice we had, in view of the election emergencies, adapted ourselves to, of cutting off one or two days in the week. Now that the elections are over we should take the regular business in a regular way.
Has the President received an assurance from the Deputy, or from the leader of the Farmers' Party, that their members will be in attendance on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next, prepared, if necessary, to sit all night? I do not like to say that I am opposed to the request Deputy Hogan makes, but it may create a very undesirable precedent. Any Deputy may come along simply because he has an interest in some mutual admiration society and make the same demand on similar grounds.
I never understood that the organisation to which Deputy Hogan belongs was a mutual admiration society.
I did not say that.
I know that it is an undue tax to put on Deputies, but I think by sitting a little longer on these days we will lose nothing and will facilitate Deputies. I am always anxious to facilitate Deputies.
I want an assurance that Deputies, apart from the Farmers' Party, will not be requested to come here and sit all night, or some hours extra, and see the Farmers' benches empty as a result of acceding to the request.
Mr. HOGAN
I cannot bind my colleagues, but I will convey what has been said to them. I will give an assurance that I will be here, and I believe that the majority of the Party will be here.
I would like to ask the President if he would think it more desirable to sit earlier in the day on next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It is not very pleasant to be sitting here late at night. It is all very well for the President, with his large Party, which can take turns, but on this side of the House we are a small number and we have to stay in our places all the time.
I will consider it.
As a matter of fact, unless notice has been given by the Minister for Industry and Commerce of a motion dealing with the Shannon Scheme, there may not be any necessity for sitting late. I do not think there will be any necessity, except in connection with that motion. If it is taken it may necessitate sitting late on Thursday and the whole of Friday. Otherwise it seems to me the business we have ordered could be transacted on Wednesday and part of Thursday. If we meet on Tuesday we would possibly meet only for a short time. In any event, the proposal is to take only Nos. 1 and 2 on the Order Paper to-day, and at the conclusion adjourn until next Wednesday.
Are we to take it that the following Bills, which were promised to be introduced by the 31st March, will not be introduced, nor any of them:—Documentary Evidence Bill, Statutory Rules and Orders Publication Bill, Censorship of Films Bill, Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill, Cork Reconstruction Bill, Dublin Emergency Provisions (Amendment) Bill, Street Trading Bill, Patents and Copyright Bill, Barrow Drainage Bill, and School Attendance Bill?
I must have notice in regard to such an alarming omnibus question as that.
Does the President realise that the promise was for the 31st March, and will that promise be fulfilled?
I hope to be able to tell the Deputy on Wednesday.