I move that the Fifth Report of the Committee of Procedure and Privileges be adopted. The report has been circulated amongst Deputies.
COMMITTEE OF PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGES. - FIFTH REPORT.
I suggest that the motion for the adoption of this report be deferred for a day or two in order to enable one or two points regarding provision in the Standing Orders for the passage of Bills to be reconsidered. I do not want to enter into a discussion as to why those points should be reconsidered. If there is general agreement, my desire is that the Committee of Procedure and Privileges be asked to meet and discuss certain matters which have come to my notice and of which I did not appreciate the importance when they were under discussion by the Committee. I do not want to have the matter discussed here, and it might be more advisable if the House would agree to refer the report back for further consideration.
It should be mentioned that there are two errors in the report. One is very simple. In proposed Standing Order 19 the figure "3" is omitted. In proposed Standing Order 127, at the end of page 33, the word "unanimous" has been omitted. The proposed Standing Order should read: "any such Order or Orders may with the unanimous consent of the Dáil, be suspended upon motion made without notice." That is rather important. As regards the question raised by Deputy Johnson in connection with the various stages of Bills, the new Standing Orders contemplate that there should be no notice necessary for the taking of the different stages. Deputy Johnson desires to give this matter further consideration. The subject is one that can be more properly discussed in Committee than here in the Dáil. Agreement has been reached on the matter already in the Committee, but it seems to require further consideration. I think Deputy Dolan's motion might be withdrawn and the report referred back to the Committee in order to give further consideration to the Standing Orders dealing with the different stages of Bills.
I am quite agreeable to withdraw the motion.
Ordered accordingly.
An effort will be made to have a meeting of the Committee immediately, and if the matter is settled I think it can be raised again next week.