I should like to know from Deputy Lemass if he wishes to take the motion on the paper with reference to the Tariff Commission Report on the application for a tariff on wrapping paper as the first business in Private Members' time this evening.
Order of Business.
The question is whether, in Private Deputies' time, the continuation of the debate on the motion in the name of Deputy Fahy or the motion in Deputy Lemass's name, with regard to a tariff on wrapping paper, shall be taken first.
I do not intend to ask any Deputy who has a motion on the Order Paper which has priority to mine to give way to me. My view is that the Reports of the Tariff Commission should be discussed in Government time, and it was to enable that to be done that I tabled the motion.
That is a matter that has not been put to me before, and I could not consider it. It is the Government which has the direction of the business, not the Opposition.
It is my view that the Dáil should have an opportunity of discussing all the Reports of the Tariff Commission, whether or not a financial motion is moved as a result of them. It should be the Government's duty to provide facilities for the discussion of the Reports.
I cannot accept that view.
The President is aware that the Dáil has met for three weeks after a five months' adjournment. On one day the Government had no business for the Dáil to do. Could not the Dáil have met on that day to discuss this matter? Can it not meet on Friday or next week to discuss this matter? Is it merely that the President, now that the bye-election is over, does not want to have it discussed at all?
I would have been willing to discuss it before or during the election. It is the Deputy and his Party and their candidate who would have been in an awkward position.
The President took very good care that it would not be discussed.
I was quite willing to have it discussed.
Ordered: That Private Deputies' Business be taken this evening at nine o'clock.
As to the Legitimacy Bill, does not a Bill usually take precedence of a motion? I think this Bill will only take a few minutes, and I ask that it be taken first.
On the second point that the Deputy made, namely, that the Report Stage of the Legitimacy Bill is unopposed business, if that is so, the Deputy can establish that through the usual channels before nine o'clock, and we can take the Bill as first business. On the point of order that the Bill should take precedence to the motion on the Order Paper, the order for the resumption of the debate upon this motion with regard to the Connaught Rangers was made before the order for the report of this Bill. The adjourned motion appears, therefore, before the Bill.