It is proposed to take the order of business, as on the Order Paper, Nos. 2 to 10, inclusive; the Votes included in that will be Nos. 30, 31 and 68—No. 1 to be taken in its appropriate place.
Order of Business.
When is the Minister going to bring in the Budget?
I hope to have it ready for the 6th May.
Can the Tánaiste say anything about Private Members' time? This day three weeks, he promised to look into the matter.
Do I understand that the Deputy is asking if Private Members' time is to be taken to-day?
I think the Tánaiste will remember that he promised to look into the matter three weeks ago with a view to seeing in the meantime when it would be possible to arrange for taking Private Members' motions, some of which have already been under discussion. At the present moment there are five motions by private Deputies on the Order Paper. If it is not convenient to-day, perhaps the Tánaiste will tell us to-morrow what arrangements will be made to dispose of these motions.
I take it that the Deputy is anxious that they should be taken at an early date?
Yes, I made that request three weeks ago.
I shall give an answer to the Deputy to-morrow.
In connection with No. 9, the Electricity Supply Board (Superannuation) Bill, I understand that a deputation from the Irish Trade Union Congress interviewed the Minister on the subject of an amendment to this Bill, and I have before me a letter from the secretary of the congress in which he states that in order to give the deputation an opportunity of considering an amendment to the Bill the Minister said that he was willing to postpone the Committee Stage of the Bill for about a fortnight, if requested to do so by any Party in the Dáil. I 'phoned the Minister's office yesterday to ascertain if he was prepared to concede the request that was then made, but was informed that he was not prepared to concede it. In view of the reported promise of the Minister to the deputation, will he now consider the question of postponing the Committee Staged?
The members of the Labour Party have had three weeks in which to prepare amendments to the Bill. It is quite true that if I had received the request in good time I would have been prepared, to consider it, but I did not receive it, and I think it is unreasonable to ask for a postponement of the Committee Stage on the eve of its being taken. The position is that if it is not taken to-day it may not be taken for a considerable period, because of the business already arranged for the Dáil. I think it should be taken to-day and, in all the circumstances, I do not think there is anything unreasonable in taking it to-day.
The Minister is wrong in assuming that the Labour Party had any responsibility in this matter at all. It was only yesterday that I was informed by the congress of the offer made to them by the Minister.
Then, presumably, the Deputy only considered the matter yesterday.
My interest was in connection with amendments by the people concerned. They made no request to me or to the Labour Party, but took the course, of having an interview with the Minister, and I understand that the Minister then undertook to consider amendments to the Bill and intimated that he was prepared to agree to a postponement of the Committee Stage. It was only yesterday that the congress intimated to me their desire for a postponement of the Committee Stage, and within ten minutes of that intimation I got in touch with the Minister's office and was then informed that the Minister would not agree to a postponement.
It is at least a fortnight since I met representatives of the Trade Union Congress. It is quite true that I told them that I would consider any amendments submitted, but I did not receive the impression that the amendments could not be prepared in time. If there had been any intimation to me that a postponement was desired on the ground that an amendment could not be prepared in time, I would have agreed to a postponement, but having received no such intimation up to yesterday I decided to take the Committee Stage to-day. There are two main Estimates on the Order Paper for which I am responsible and, apart from that, the other Dáil business would prevent this Bill being taken, perhaps, even in this session, if it is not taken to-day. Next week, there will be the Central Bank Bill and, following that, there will be the Budget and other financial business. I think Deputies should facilitate the taking of the Committee Stage to-day, and amendments can be submitted for the Report Stage or in the Seanad.
I wish to point out that it was only yesterday that I learned from the congress what had been intimated to them by the Minister, and then I got in touch with the Minister immediately.
Is it proposed to take the County Management (Amendment) Bill to-day?
Is it proposed to take it this week at all?
It is proposed to take it next week.