Order No. 7 was postponed.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. - BUSINESS OF THE DAIL.
Are we to understand that the order will be taken to-morrow?
I am informed that Order No. 7 was discharged and was to be taken to-morrow. Is that right?
I was not here when the order was made.
That order was made, I am informed. Deputy O'Connell is asking another question. Will this be taken to-morrow?
No, sir, it was not intended to be taken to-morrow. I move the adjournment until to-morrow week. I do not think we have sufficient business for this week, but I believe we will have for next week.
By that time will the President be able to say who the Minister for Education will be?
I hope to be able.
It is not many weeks ago since Deputies were brought up from the country to meet and then to adjourn for a week. We raised a protest, first against the expenditure of public money, and second, against the expenditure of the Deputies' time and interest on something that was not forthcoming, but, notwithstanding that, the same procedure is to be repeated. Deputies are brought from the country to do business; by some process the newspapers are informed of all the great programme of legislation that is to be provided; we find that we have an afternoon's work that is finished at 6.20 p.m., and we adjourn for a week. I do not know whether the President considers that that is the way that the conduct of the first House of the Legislature should be proceeded with. It seems to me that we ought to have had a sufficient amount of business to carry us on from now to next week, and then that there should be such an accumulation of business as would allow the whole session to be proceeded with regularly. I think it is not right and proper that the business of the House should be dealt with in this manner, and it is not fair to Deputies that they should be asked to come from the country just for one day's business. People will think that we are emulating the Seanad. Perhaps I should not say that, but I honestly feel that it is not fair and that it is not a proper treatment of the business of the House.
I may say that it was not anticipated that the House would work so hard this afternoon that the Order Paper, which was very considerable, would have been concluded this evening. It was certainly my impression that there was sufficient business for two days, and that the Estimates under Item 4 would occupy our attention on Thursday. However, as the very considerable amount of business has been finished at an early hour I think the best course to adopt would be to adjourn until Wednesday next, when we will have a week's business ready.
I think it is most unfortunate that we should adjourn for a week after such a long adjournment, and I protest against it for one reason. Practically for the last twelve months, we have been promised by the Minister for Defence, or by those speaking for him, an amendment to the Army Pensions Act, and there is yet no sign of that amending Bill. I think if Ministers are short of business there is nothing more important at present that they could bring before the Dáil than the Army Pensions Amending Bill. There are many ex-Army men who met with accidents while in the Army, and there are many others in sanatoria without a penny piece coming to them and without anything to help them except what they get through charity. That is not the way to treat ex-Army men in this country. This is a matter that ought to be brought to the notice of the Dáil at the earliest possible moment.
This matter also affects me. I had a question on the Order Paper to-day concerning this matter of amending the Army Pensions Act. I agreed with the Minister for Defence that it would be advisable to postpone the question; in the interests of the people who would be affected by the Act I consented to postpone it. I am just as anxious as Deputy Byrne or anybody else about this matter.
We are a long time being promised this Amending Bill.
I regret that the speech made by Deputy Byrne will not help us in the least in connection with a Bill of that kind.
The debate on that matter has concluded. The adjournment is now being moved until to-morrow week. Deputy Morrissey gave notice of his intention to raise a matter for discussion on the motion for the adjournment, but as to that I was asked whether such discussion would be in order. The Executive Council that answers here is not responsible for the detention of Deputy MacCurtain and certain other prisoners who are detained under the jurisdiction of the Government of Northern Ireland. Ordinarily, therefore, in such a case no question such as the question Deputy Morrissey has given notice of—the question of the continued detention of Deputy MacCurtain and other prisoners by the Government of Northern Ireland —could be raised here. However, I have come to the conclusion that the surrounding circumstance in this particular case make it impossible rigidly to adhere to the very sound rule that we cannot discuss affairs that do not absolutely come within our jurisdiction. I would be prepared, however, to allow Deputy Morrissey, not to raise the question of which he has given notice, but to ask the President what he has done to procure the release of Deputy MacCurtain and the other prisoners. In any debate that might ensue, the only Government that could be criticised here is the Government that is answerable here, that is the Executive Council. I shall rigidly adhere to that rule.
After a consultation with the President, I have decided to postpone this matter until to-morrow week.
Can the President give us any information as to what business will be taken next week for certain?
The Estimates.
The business ordered for Tuesday will be taken on to-morrow week, together with the Estimates and the School Attendance Bill.
That is the point I was trying to arrive at.
The School Attendance Bill will probably be taken on Thursday, not on Wednesday.
In view of the conditions existing in the country, the bringing of Deputies here is no small matter. They travel first class, and I dare say the Government will have to pay first class fares to the full 100 per cent. Possibly a few hundred pounds will be involved, and maybe more. I think it is not good enough, in view of the economic situation of the country, that Deputies should be summoned here for one day's work. The Government should make up their mind either to have a full week's work or let the adjournment carry to a later date. This has occurred more than once, and the money could be devoted to more useful purposes than spending it in this way.
The Dáil adjourned at 6.35 p.m., until Wednesday, January 27th, 1926.