I ask leave to make a short statement with reference to to-day's Press reports of the Intoxicating Liquor Bill debate in the Dáil yesterday.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - OMISSION FROM PRESS REPORT.
The Deputy has not given me any notice of this, but I will allow him to proceed.
The reports of yesterday's proceedings in to-day's "Irish Times" and "Irish Independent" have apparently created a very wrong impression throughout the country, owing to the omission of an important part of the proceedings. I was requested, on behalf of a large number of Deputies, to ask the Ceann Comhairle if I, or any other member of the House, would be in order on the Report Stage in bringing in an amendment to alter the split hours from two hours to one hour. I was told that I would be, and I think that that was confirmed afterwards by you, sir. I then stated that that reply made the position of those people for whom I spoke very easy in connection with their attitude on the Bill. We voted for the Bill, but having been told that, I said I was prepared to put in an amendment on the Report Stage to alter the clause in that way. That was omitted altogether, and its omission puts a different complexion on the report in the Press.