Could the Tánaiste say what will be the sitting days next week?
Business of the Dáil.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday—Tuesday and Wednesday at any rate.
Is it proposed to adjourn next week?
I hope so.
Could the Taoiseach at this stage give us any idea as to when the referendum will be held?
Unfortunately it is not easy to do that. It depends on the actions of both Dáil and Seanad.
Will the Taoiseach tell us if he has any idea how long it will take——
I have not any idea. I do not know what the Opposition will do.
Is it now proposed to hold the Presidential Election and the referendum on the same day?
That depends on circumstances also.
Is the Taoiseach likely to be a candidate for the Presidency?
That is another question.
(Interruptions.)
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if he is prepared to give us an undertaking that the referendum in any event will be deferred until the new register of electors becomes operative on April 15th.
It is almost an impossibility to hold it before that.
I think it would be very difficult.
Is the Tánaiste serious in saying that the House is to be adjourned next week? The Minister for Local Government has a Bill ordered for Tuesday week.
The Deputy will appreciate that while that Bill must become law within some reasonable time there is not that element of urgency about it because it need not emerge from the legislating machine earlier than the Constitution Amendment Bill itself. If the Constitution Amendment Bill could be completed next week, then it would not be necessary to meet the following week for the purpose of taking the other Bill.
Then, was it not rather "cracked" to take that Bill yesterday rather than take the Constitution Amendment Bill?
That is very smart.
In view of the Taoiseach's statement when asked a question about the probability or the possibility of the Presidential Election and the referendum being held on the same day and his reply that it depended on certain circumstances, would the Taoiseach recall——
This is not the business before the House.
That was the Taoiseach getting ready to change his mind.
He does not even need to get ready to change it. He changes it every day and he always has himself covered in about six different ways. The only person who did not cover himself was the Minister for External Affairs. He put his two feet right into it.