It is proposed to take business as on the Order Paper—Items 1 to 5, No. 3 to be taken in its appropriate place after Vote 58. There will be no private Members' Time this evening. Business will be interrupted at 9 o'clock to take the Minister's statement on the Army Vote, and, after the Minister's statement, the business interrupted will be resumed. As it is desirable, owing to the short time remaining, that all the Estimates on the Order Paper should be disposed of to-day, except the Army Vote, the House will be asked to agree to sit late to-night.
Order of Business.
Would the Tánaiste explain precisely the urgency of getting all these Estimates to-day?
All these Supplementary Estimates have to be adopted before the Vote on Account can be put before the House. With the passing of the new Constitution the dates have been altered and brought forward so that there is less time than has been customary hitherto for the consideration of these Estimates.
I understand that the practice has arisen in the Department of Finance to hold the Supplementary Estimates in order to be able to present them in a group at two stages in the year. Whether that system has arisen or not, I think it right to make it quite clear that if in an emergency this year—whatever the Labour Party and other members may be prepared to do—we, on this side, are prepared to afford the Government facilities in dealing with all these Estimates in one day, it should not be taken as a precedent. It is not a reasonable request to make to the Opposition—to take 15 or 16 Estimates in the one day, and to sit late in order to dispose of them, because by that method they cannot be adequately dealt with. However, in view of the pending Vote on Account, if the Government state that an emergency exists we are prepared to facilitate them on this occasion, but I want again to emphasise the fact that it should not be taken as a Parliamentary precedent.
Would the Tánaiste say whether, if all the Estimates, apart from Estimate 65, are disposed of before 9 p.m., the Army Estimate will then be taken before 9 p.m.?
Yes.
Only the Minister's statement, I understand.
Are we to understand that there will be no desire to pursue a discussion once the Minister has made his statement?
No.