It is proposed to take the business as on the Order Paper from No. 4 to No. 9, Public Business not to be interrupted at 9 o'clock. It is hoped that the Dáil will adjourn to-morrow until this day fortnight if the Appropriation Bill is passed through all its stages. It will be necessary to meet to-morrow to take the Control of Manufactures Bill and probably four First Readings.
Business of the Dáil.
Is the Vice-President in a position to make any further statement regarding the period during which the Dáil will be called upon to assemble here? Can he inform the House when the adjournment will take place? Last week we had business lasting for one and a half days and this week the business will last, perhaps, a day and a quarter. It is a great personal inconvenience to members to have to travel. It is costly and at this time of the year it means an interruption of their own business. It so happens that the finance business has been completed within the scheduled period. I am not so sure that coming back in a fortnight's time is going to improve the situation so far as the Government is concerned. I presume the Government require certain Bills to be passed. There is not much use in calling the Dáil together to pass those Bills in a hurry—which, I think, even Minister's will admit is likely to happen in this case—if those Bills are not going to be considered by the Seanad until October. The House has met fairly continuously since February last. A good deal of time has been spent on public business. It is fairly clear that if public business be either rushed, as is the case with quite a number of Bills here now, or if members have got to get away, that the consideration which normally should be given to legislation is not likely to be given. I think that, in the circumstances, if the Minister has not yet reviewed the whole situation it would be particularly desirable that it ought to be reviewed, and that a statement ought to be made to the House as to what Government policy is in connection with these Bills, at any rate, before to-morrow.
I do not think it is correct to say that business has been rushed or that Bills have not got due consideration. On the other hand, I know that quite a considerable amount of work has been got through this session. We have, as the Deputy properly says, got through the financial business within the scheduled time. At least, if we complete the Appropriation Bill to-day we shall have got through the financial business, I think, perhaps a little before the scheduled time. It is necessary, however, that we should get through the Appropriation Bill at an early date. If we could get it completely through to-day and perhaps to-morrow, that would mean that it could go to the Seanad immediately and the financial business would be completed as far as this House is concerned. We have, however, to-morrow, very likely, four First Readings—the Shannon Fisheries Bill, the Dairy Produce Bill, the Creamery Bill and the Debentures Bill. There are other Bills besides these, that are close to completion so far as the preliminary stage before introduction is concerned, which it is necessary to get through before the Dáil adjourns.
I quite agree with the Deputy that at this time of the year particularly certain sections of the community are busily engaged at their own work at home. The necessities of the case, however, oblige us to call Deputies together to deal with these very necessary Bills. I do not think that the Government are any more anxious than anybody else in the House to bring Deputies here continuously day after day, and as soon as these Bills can be completed and put before the House, and when they have got the necessary time for discussion, the question of the date of adjournment can be seriously considered and proposed to the House.
I do not know whether the Minister has dealt with the points I raised. The introduction of four Bills to-morrow brings us no distance more forward than we were last week. There is one Bill here on the Order Paper—the Limerick City Management Bill—which has not been circulated yet. There is also the Tobacco Bill, put down for to-morrow, which has not been circulated. It is a farce to ask for the introduction of Bills of which the Ceann Comhairle has not got a copy. Obviously, we cannot consider them until they are circulated. Let us mark the distinction in this case between asking the Dáil to sit to consider business and asking them to come here for one day or a day and a half. There is a marked distinction between those two things. If there is business to be considered, we are entering no objection; but we do object to being called here to-day to do one day's or a day and a quarter's business and breaking up the whole week for that. We definitely put that forward as a reasonable objection. A further objection is that the other House usually adjourns towards the end of July. I do not know if we are going to be asked to pass Bills here up to the first week in August and the other House not to consider them until October. If that is so, the Government is in no better position than if they were to delay the consideration of these Bills till the autumn.
I think that if the procedure is a farce, as the Deputy suggests, it is a procedure with which he is very familiar, and one which this Party cannot be accused of being the originator of.
The difficulty in that case is that when the Minister takes up a line of that sort he goes to pieces on it. One occasion in each session is the most that can be alleged against us, whereas the Government now multiplies such occasions.
The Deputy acknowledges that the originator of the farce was himself.
I acknowledge that in our time it was the exception rather than the rule, whereas now it is the rule rather than the exception.
Own up now and say nothing more! I could remind the Deputy on many occasions when similar things happened. We have for to-day the Appropriation Bill, which has taken a day in itself, and besides that the Gaeltacht Housing Bill, the Constitution (Amendment No. 23) Bill and the Second Reading of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. It is true that the Limerick City Bill has not yet been circulated. Some little difficulties have arisen to hold it up, although the Bill has been ready for weeks. However, it will be circulated probably to-morrow. That in itself is, ordinarily speaking, a sufficient programme to put before the Dáil for at least two days' discussion. It may be that Deputies on the other side are not in much humour for talk—that has been rather noticeable recently—and that they will not take up too much time. However, I would suggest to the Deputy that that in itself is a good and sufficient programme for this day and to-morrow. But if the work can be got through early we hope not to ask the Dáil to come together for a fortnight.
I should like to ask the Minister for Agriculture when it is his intention to introduce the Cattle Bill. Statements have been made by the Minister for Agriculture that he was going to introduce a Bill which would settle the very vexed problem of the cattle situation in the country. I should like to know what are his intentions with regard to the promises which he has made.
It will be introduced probably this day fortnight.
Does the Minister want that Bill through before the Dáil adjourns?
Dr. Ryan
I think that when the Deputies see the Bill they will all want it through.
Is it expected to be got through the Seanad also?
Dr. Ryan
Yes.
Surely that is ridiculous.
I suppose that is not rushing business?
Why not give Deputies an opportunity even to turn round?
Dr. Ryan
When I told a prominent Senator belonging to the Deputy's Party the provisions of the Bill he said that the Seanad would sit on it and put it through.