Vol. 191 No. 15
I move:
(i) That notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Resolution of 27th July, the hour at which business is to be interrupted to-day be 11.30 p.m.; and
(ii) That the Taoiseach shall be called upon by the Chair not later than 10.45 p.m. to conclude the debate on the Motion for the Adjournment of the Dáil.
This motion is to give effect to the understanding reached to day that, in order to conclude the debate, the Taoiseach would be allowed to reply at 10.45 p.m.
I want an undertaking from the Tánaiste that he will not hog the time unreasonably. How much time does he want?
I do not know.
I should like to make it clear that there are a number of Deputies on this side of the House and on my right who want an opportunity of speaking and if the time from now till 10.45 is going to be bagged by the Tánaiste, I think it would be quite unreasonable on an Adjournment Debate to tie us down to time.
Might I point out that since the debate commenced three Government speakers have intervened as against nine others?
But what was the time?
Would the Deputy listen——
If the Tánaiste wants three-quarters of an hour I am perfectly happy.
With one proviso, that Deputy Sweetman retires from the House so that I may be able to talk without interruptions.
The Tánaiste need not rely on the belief that he will not be interrupted if Deputy Sweetman leaves.
Deputy Sweetman would be delighted to be excused from having to listen to the Tánaiste's irrelevancies.
The Tánaiste might sit down until the motion has been dealt with.
I hope that this will not take up all the time because I have something I want to say.
If the Tánaiste will take 50 minutes I am prepared to listen without interrupting.
I shall try to be as brief as possible.
Does that mean as brief as possible for any Deputy or for the Tánaiste?
I am not prepared to speak for any Deputy except myself.
The Tánaiste usually does, but we shall listen for a while at any rate.
