The wording of Section 2 does not appear very clear. The section says "the allowance and travelling facilities to be paid to and received by a member of the Oireachtas ... shall in the case of a member of Dáil Eireann ... as on and from the day on which the Oireachtas is summoned to meet." What exactly is the meaning of that phrase? Does it mean the date on which the Oireachtas meets or the day on which the summons goes out to inform the members when the Oireachtas is to meet? I think it would be open to the latter construction. I think it would mean the date on which the summons was issued rather than the date on which the Oireachtas meets.
In Committee on Finance. - Oireachtas (Payment of Members) Bill, 1933—In Committee.
Section 1 agreed to.
SECTION 2.
The allowance and travelling facilities to be paid to and received by a member of the Oireachtas under the Oireachtas (Payment of Members) Acts shall (subject to the provisions of those Acts in relation to members holding certain offices and subject to the provisions of this Act) commence and be payable—
(a) in the case of a member of Dáil Eireann elected to be such member at a general election, as on and from the day on which the Oireachtas is summoned to meet next after such general election or, if under the Standing Orders of Dáil Eireann such member is, by reason of his failure to comply with those Standing Orders, not entitled to sit in Dáil Eireann as a member thereof on that day, the first day thereafter on which he becomes, by compliance with the said Standing Orders, entitled thereunder to sit in Dáil Eireann as a member thereof, and
(b) in every other case, as on and from the day on which such member first becomes, by compliance with the Standing Orders of the House of which he is a member, entitled under those Standing Orders to sit in that House as a member thereof.
The date on which it meets certainly.
The section states "as on and from the day on which the Oireachtas is summoned to meet." It does not say the date on which it meets but the date on which it is summoned to meet.
That is a statutory date and it is presumed that, apart from a revolution or something like that, the Oireachtas will meet on the day on which it is summoned to meet.
The Minister does not mean that. However, the certificate is not with the Minister.
If the Deputy had studied the Bill he would have seen that before now.
Section agreed to.
Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and the Title, agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment.
If there is no objection I propose to take the remaining stages now.
There is no objection to that.
Question—"That the Bill be received for final consideration"—put and agreed to.
Question—"That the Bill do now pass"—put and agreed to.
This is a Money Bill within the meaning of Article 35 of the Constitution.
It is not anticipating a general election?
The Deputy has an uneasy conscience.
No, but high hopes.