The Joint Committee on Standing Orders report that they have nominated the following Deputies to serve on the Joint Committee to which the Bank of Ireland Bill, 1929, has been referred:—Davin, Lemass and McDonagh.
Bank of Ireland Bill, 1929. - Report of Joint Committee on Standing Orders.
With reference to this Special Committee, our position, a Chinn Comhairle, as I explained privately to you yesterday, is that we claim that we have the right to select our own members on that Committee. The question is a rather important one, because our attitude towards it is that what is involved in this case is the relation between a private interest and the interest of the general public. It is not so much in this case a question as between two sets of private interests or a question between the Bank of Ireland and other banks. It is a question as between the Bank of Ireland and the community as a whole. That being so, we claim that it is only right that we should have upon that Committee the members whom we select ourselves for it. I was told by one of our Deputies, who was on the Selection Committee this morning, that he proposed Senator Connolly as representing our interests on the Seanad group, and that was turned down. I do not know exactly how it came about that Deputy Lemass was selected, because he was not nominated directly by our Party.
Does the Deputy object?
I do object.
On a point of personal explanation, I wish to say that at the point at which the name of the Senator put forward as representing our Party was turned down I withdrew from the Committee as representing the Party. We have no responsibility for any names put forward at the Committee after that.
I would like to say that I was not consulted as to whether or not I would act on the Committee. I have no intention of acting on the Committee.
The position is that if Deputies intend to contest this particular nomination by the Committee of Deputies to serve on the Joint Committee to consider the private Bill, we will have to take some steps to find an opportunity for dealing with it. In the meantime, the Dáil portion of the Joint Committee may be taken as not having been yet appointed.
Ordered: That the Report do lie upon the Table.