The business, sir, will be taken in its order on the Paper. With reference to item No. 3, my own feeling is that it ought be withdrawn from the Order Paper. It scarcely seems useful or proper to proceed with the discussion of the policy of the Minister for Education, when, in fact, there is no Minister for Education. I gathered from the remarks of one Deputy on the last day that a division on the matter was desirable. That would be something better than a continuation of the discussion. Whether there even ought to be a division on this motion, which has no real application in the existing circumstances, is doubtful, unless we were to imagine the division as taking place the last evening when the matter was discussed. Article 53 of the Constitution contains the following:—
The President of the Council shall be appointed on the nomination of Dáil Eireann.... The other Ministers who are to hold office as members of the Executive Council shall be appointed on the nomination of the President with the assent of Dáil Eireann, and he and the Ministers nominated by him shall retire from office should he cease to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Eireann, but the President and such Ministers shall continue to carry on their duties until their successors have been appointed.
That, I think, contemplates the position of a defeat of the Executive Council as a whole. As a Council they would continue to hold office until other persons were appointed to take on administrative responsibilities. The case of one single member of the Executive Council resigning is, I think, different. I should say that the responsibility for education lies, at the moment, wholly within the Executive Council. Whether now in the circumstances it is wise or proper to proceed with a discussion on the motion couched in these terms—
"That the Dáil approves of the policy of the Minister for Education"
is doubtful. If there is a strong view in favour of that course, I would offer no opposition to the taking of a division; but I think a continuance of the discussion would be undesirable. It might be felt that it would be a pity to let so much eloquence go to waste, and that there ought at least be a vote on the matter. If that is the general view, a vote can be taken; but I think there should be no discussion.