I move:—
"Go n-aontuíonn an Dáil leis an Seanad ina Rún a cuireadh in úil don Dáil an 15adh lá d'Fheabhra. Go bhfuil sé oiriúnach Có-Choiste, ar a mbeidh cúigear ball den Dáil agus cúigear ball den tSeanad, maraon le Ceann Comhairle na Dála agus Cathaoirleach an tSeanaid mar bhaill ex-officio, do bhunú chun breithniú do dhéanamh agus tuairisc do thabhairt ar na hatharuithe is gá a dhéanamh, más gá aon cheann, ar chó-dhéanamh agus ar chomhachta Sheanad Eireann agus ar na modhanna toghacháin chun Seanad Eireann.
"That the Dáil concurs with the Seanad in their Resolution communicated to the Dáil on 15th day of February: That it is expedient that a Joint Committee consisting of five members of the Dáil and five members of the Seanad, with the Chairman of each House ex-officio, be set up to consider and report on the changes, if any, necessary in the constitution and powers of, and methods of election to Seanad Eireann."
I move the motion simply because the Seanad passed the Message upon the Order Paper. The motion was in the particular form in which it comes to us now. The Committee of Selection may find a difficulty in selecting five members for this purpose. They may not find five a suitable number. It is quite possible they will. Should they not find five a suitable number they would have to get the figure changed by the House.
The Government's intention was to introduce legislation which it has prepared dealing with certain proposals with regard to the Seanad elections. In view, however, of the resolution passed by the Seanad the Government is prepared to support the setting up of this Committee. The discussion in the Seanad showed that those who moved the resolution desired that the deliberations of this Committee should not be prejudiced by any statement of Government policy with regard to the Seanad. In that respect the Government is prepared to meet the Seanad. There is, however, a point of urgency in the matter. The Government is responsible for seeing that the administrative machinery will not be given work to do that it is not able to do in time. It is responsible for the finance of the country and it is responsible for ordering the business of the House, and as an election is due to take place this year for the Seanad the element of time enters into it. The Government is of opinion that while it is not desirous in any way of prejudicing the deliberations of the Committee, it is very desirable, to their minds on the other hand, that long-drawn-out deliberations by a Committee should not prejudice the other considerations involved in the matter.
The date, 31st of March, was suggested in the Seanad as a date by which the Committee might at least be able to report on the method of election. A Committee discussing the powers of the Seanad itself, its constitution and method of election might very well sit for a number of months, but in view of the urgency of the question of the election it was thought that the Committee should direct its particular attention to that in the very beginning. It was suggested in the Seanad that they should report on that by the 31st of March. That was not accepted by the Seanad.
I personally feel that such a Committee should be able to report by the 17th April, say by the time that the Dáil would re-assemble after the Easter recess. I expect it would re-assemble about the 17th April. I feel that the Committee should be able to report by that time, at least on the question of election. I do say that there is a question of urgency with regard to the method of election and the importance of reporting at the earliest possible moment on that particular point.
