The order of business will be as on the Order Paper. If the Estimates are reached it is not proposed to take the Vote for External Affairs. It is proposed that public business be not interrupted at 12 o'clock for the taking of Private Deputies' business.
Order of Business.
I challenge the right of the Government to take, for the sixth time in succession, without consultation and agreement with other Parties, for their own purposes, the time usually allotted to the consideration of Private Members' business. Nobody in the Government Party, whatever about the other Parties, will have the courage to say that this Party has not given every consideration and every reasonable accommodation to the Government in the conduct of the business of the House. The members of this Party have had two motions on the Order Paper for close on three months. These are motions of considerable importance to this Party and to its supporters in the country. One deals with the fixation of the starvation wage of 24/- per week for those engaged on minor relief works. The other motion requests the Executive Council to provide further sums for the relief of unemployment. We were informed three weeks ago that it was impossible for the Government to proceed with the consideration of the item dealing with the rates of wages payable on minor relief works owing to the absence of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance. We all regret the absence, through illness, of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, but the Government know perfectly well that is not a justification for holding up the conclusion of the debate on Deputy O'Donovan's motion any more than it would be accepted by us as a good reason for holding up the consideration and discussion of the wages ordered to be paid on works of the kind referred to. As we know, in this and the previous Government, Ministers have acted for other Ministers during their absence owing to illness or some other good cause. The question of the rate of wages to be paid to those employed on minor relief works is not a matter for the final decision of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, no matter who he may be. It is a question of Government policy. Although everybody would be anxious that the Parliamentary Secretary should be present during the discussion, this is an issue that should be defended by the Minister for Finance himself and by his colleagues in the Cabinet.
Three and a half hours per week is the short time allotted to the consideration of Private Members' business. This is the sixth time in succession that that right has been taken from Private Members without agreement. That is hardly ever done without consultation and agreement with the representatives of other Parties. Every individual member has rights to protect in this matter. One would not be inclined to challenge the whole question in the way I am now doing were it not that the House on Wednes— day week was adjourned at 4.40 p.m.— roughly six hours before it was normally due to adjourn—without any previous intimation to the representatives of this Party and, so far as I know, without previous intimation to any Party except the Cumann na nGaedheal Party. If that is not correct, I can be set right. At all events, the first intimation that some of us had about the intention of the Government to adjourn the House at 4.40 p.m. was when you, a Chinn Comhairle, stood up and made that announcement. If there had been any kind of approach to the representatives of other Parties, when six hours were available for the consideration of other business, I think that an arrangement could be arrived at, suited to the convenience of all Parties, whereby that valuable time could have been allotted to the consideration of Private Members' business. I am certain that if Deputy O'Donovan's motion could not have been taken on Wednesday, when six hours were available for the purpose, other business standing in the name of Private Members could have been discussed, and probably decided. This matter has not been raised at this stage without some genuine justification. If Private Members' time is going to be taken by the Government Party in the future, in this arbitrary fashion, they may rely upon it that they are not going to be allowed to do so without being challenged by Deputies on these benches.
I desire to say that it is not the desire or the wish of the Government that discussion upon matters referred to by the Deputy, and by the Labour Party, should be avoided. It has been the usual practice of the Government to appropriate Private Members' time at this season of the year, when financial business of a pressing nature is under consideration by the Dáil. On this occasion I think there is more justification for that practice than previously, because of the congested nature of the Order Paper. No doubt an arrangement can be made by which time now taken for Government business can be restored, and facilities given to Private Deputies to raise matters that they desire to have discussed. Deputies are no doubt aware that there are many urgent matters under consideration by the Dáil, and that in relation to financial business there is always a time schedule which must be adhered to. The position is complicated by the fact that for one full day next week the Dáil will not meet, and in the coming month there are, probably, two other days to which the same will apply. I have no doubt whatever that if the Whips of the Labour Party consulted with the Government Whips an arrangement could be made by which any Private Members' time now appropriated can be restored at the end of the Session.
I do not object to the Government asking, as their predecessors did, for Private Members' time during Budget week. But there is no Budget or financial business of any importance on this week. We know that possibly a claim of that kind could possibly be made with justification next week. Except the Minister for Industry and Commerce no one can say now when the time already taken will be made up to Private Deputies, in order that some of what they regard as rather urgent matters may be considered.
I think it would be the desire of the Government to do so as early as possible, subject to facilitating public business. The matters before the Dáil are particularly urgent, and have a bearing on questions which Deputies desire to discuss.
I would like the Minister to realise that consultation of the kind hitherto carried on in this House, in regard to accommodation, does not mean, as far as this Party is concerned, an agreement made beforehand with the Cumann na nGaedheal Party, and then being told what the Government is going to do.
I accept that.
I challenge the Minister to say when reasonable time will be given for Private Deputies' business.
Question put: "That public business be not interrupted at 12 o'clock for the purpose of taking Private Members' business."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 61; Níl, 38.
Tá
- Aiken, Frank.
- Bartley, Gerald.
- Boland, Gerald.
- Bourke, Daniel.
- Brady, Brian.
- Brady, Seán.
- Corkery, Daniel.
- Corry, Martin John.
- Crowley, Fred. Hugh.
- Curran, Richard.
- Daly, Denis.
- De Valera, Eamon.
- Doherty, Hugh.
- Dowdall, Thomas P.
- Finlay, John.
- Flynn, John.
- Fogarty, Andrew.
- Gibbons, Seán.
- Goulding, John.
- Hales, Thomas.
- Hayes, Seán.
- Holohan, Richard.
- Jordan, Stephen.
- Kehoe, Patrick.
- Kelly, James Patrick.
- Kelly, Thomas.
- Kent, William Rice.
- Killilea, Mark.
- Kilroy, Michael.
- Kissane, Eamonn.
- Lemass, Seán F.
- Breathnach, Cormac.
- Breen, Daniel.
- Briscoe, Robert.
- Browne, William Frazer.
- Carty, Frank.
- Concannon, Helena.
- Little, Patrick John.
- Lynch, James B.
- MacEntee, Seán.
- McGovern, Patrick.
- Maguire, Ben.
- Maguire, Conor Alexander.
- Moore, Séamus.
- Moylan, Seán.
- Murphy, Patrick Stephen.
- O'Dowd, Patrick.
- O'Grady, Seán.
- O'Kelly, Seán Thomas.
- O'Reilly, Matthew.
- Pearse, Margaret Mary.
- Rice, Edward.
- Rogers, Patrick James.
- Ryan, James.
- Ryan, Martin.
- Ryan, Robert.
- Sheridan, Michael.
- Smith, Patrick.
- Traynor, Oscar.
- Victory, James.
- Ward, Francis C. (Dr.).
Níl
- Anthony, Richard.
- Belton, Patrick.
- Bennett, George Cecil.
- Brennan, Michael.
- Burke, James Michael.
- Burke, Patrick.
- Corish, Richard.
- Cosgrave, William T.
- Costello, John Aloysius.
- Craig, Sir James.
- Davin, William.
- Davis, Michael.
- Desmond, William.
- Dockrell, Henry Morgan.
- Doyle, Peadar S.
- Esmonde, Osmond Grattan.
- Fitzgerald, Desmond.
- Fitzgerald-Kenney, James.
- Hogan, Patrick (Clare).
- Keating, John.
- Keyes, Michael.
- Lynch, Finian.
- McDonogh, Martin.
- McFadden, Michael Og.
- McMenamin, Daniel.
- Morrisroe, James.
- Morrissey, Daniel.
- Mulcahy, Richard.
- O'Connor, Batt.
- O'Mahony, The.
- O'Neill, Eamonn.
- O'Sullivan, Gearoid.
- O'Sullivan, John Marcus.
- Pattison, James P.
- Redmond, Bridget Mary.
- Reidy, James.
- Rice, Vincent.
- Thrift, William Edward.
Tellers:—Tá: Deputies Little and Traynor; Níl: Deputies Corish and Keyes.
Question declared carried.