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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Friday, 26 Mar 1926

Vol. 14 No. 19

EXTENDED SITTING.

I beg to move that the Dáil sit later than 4 o'clock in order to finish the business on the Order Paper, with the exception of item 7 (Court Officers Bill, 1926—Committee Stage). I propose to take that on 20th April when we re-assemble. The alternative to my proposal will be to return on Monday and complete the business. I do not think that will meet with the approval of the House.

I desire to ask why the Shop Hours (Drapery Trades, Dublin and Districts) Bill, 1926, is not on the Order Paper to-day.

This Bill should have appeared on the Order Paper, but a certain amount of confusion has arisen between the two Bills which are running concurrently. As regards the Central Fund Bill, does the President mean to take the Second Stage only to-day?

I propose to ask for leave to finish it to-day.

In regard to item No. 8, on the Order Paper—the motion standing in my name—the matter involved in that is largely contained in the report of the minutes of evidence placed in the Library. Inasmuch as the requisite number of sitting days of the Dáil will not have expired before we resume after the Recess, there is no particular urgency about taking the motion to-day.

Is the Deputy quite clear on that?

The Order is dated to apply from the 27th March, and it is required that 40 sitting days of the Dáil must have elapsed before the right of Deputies or the right of the House to pass a resolution annulling the Order takes effect.

The proviso says "within the next subsequent 40 days." If the Deputy is prepared to abide by his own contention that this can be held over until we resume after the Recess, and take the risks involved, I am satisfied, but I am not saying I agree with his contention.

The phrase appears to be quite understandable, but to a lawyer it may not. Forty days presumably mean "forty days" on which the House has sat, and if an order can be annulled by a vote of the House, notwithstanding the expiry of the time noted in the order, I am satisfied and I am prepared to take that risk. If we can annul it by a vote of the House within 40 days on which the House has sat, I am prepared to delay the motion and a discussion on it until we resume after the Recess.

Is it proposed to take the Committee Stage of the Shop Hours (Drapery Trades, Dublin and Districts) Bill to-day?

Can we have some intimation as to the length of the adjournment at the luncheon interval?

I suggest from 2 to 3.

In that case, does the President intend to sit late this evening?

Yes. The intention is to finish the business.

I would plead with the President that there is no urgency to take this Drapery Trades Bill to-day. There will have to be further stages of this Bill, and I think it is unreasonable to expect that it should be taken in Committee to-day in view of the other items on the Order Paper. I would like to know if Deputy Doyle is agreeable to a postponement of the Bill till after the Recess?

There is a further point to be considered. It is, that amendments proposed in Committee and disposed of in Committee cannot be raised on Report. The important stage of the Bill will now be the Committee Stage, so that if it be taken after we resume it will be almost as valuable as if we took it to-day. Another complication arises in this way, that the first day for Private Members' business after we resume will be the Wednesday. If the Minister for Finance introduces his Budget on that day, there will be no possibility whatever of taking Private Members' business on the Wednesday.

In that case I would agree to take the Drapery Bill on the Tuesday.

I take it that Deputy Johnson's motion—item No. 8 on the Order Paper to-day—will also be taken on the Tuesday?

Yes.

Ordered: "That the Dáil sit later than 4 p.m."

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