It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 on the Order Paper. Questions will be taken at 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
Is the Taoiseach in a position to say now on what days we shall meet next week and what business will be taken?
The arrangement that has been made is that the Dáil will meet on Wednesday and Thursday and that the two days will be entirely devoted to the discussion of the motions relating to the White Paper. I shall be moving a motion on Wednesday for the termination of that discussion on Thursday afternoon involving a half-hour each to spokesmen of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties to reply. The Vote will be taken at 4.45.
Will the Taoiseach or the Ceann Comhairle say which motion is to be taken first?
As they are on the Order Paper, I suppose.
I should like your ruling on this matter. As far we know, our motion was in first and I should like to ask you why the motion is not down first on the Order Paper?
Deputy Sweetman approached me about 6.30 yesterday evening and told me that his Party had decided to put down a motion in respect of the White Paper. He said that he had been in my office to see my Private Secretary but, as he was not there, he could not give notice, and that he came to me personally to give notice. That was at 6.20.
If anybody wants amplification of what occurred, the Government Chief Whip approached me while our central committee was in session and I sent word to that effect. I came downstairs and found that the Whip of the Labour Party and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach were downstairs. I told them I would notify them as soon as the meeting finished. I came downstairs to notify the Parliamentary Secretary's office and notified the Labour Chief Whip at his tea in the restaurant. I went to your office. Sir, to look for your Private Secretary, found he was not available and came straight down to you, a Cheann Comhairle.
We got an intimation from the Taoiseach that a discussion would be allowed next week and at 4.15 yesterday our Chief Whip met the Government Chief Whip and intimated to him that we wanted time for the discussion next week. Subsequently, should I say at five minutes to seven, we handed a motion into the office and as far as we are aware, that was the first motion that was received by the office.
I have nothing to add to what I have said. I took the notice from the Chief Whip of the major Opposition Party as giving me notice on behalf of his Party that they——
I do not know why the Ceann Comhairle stresses the major Opposition Party. I thought the motion which was in first was taken first.
This was not a matter of priority between individual Deputies.
I am glad to know that, at least.
Are we to take it that verbal notification is now sufficient to indicate the intention of giving notice of a motion?
I have not said anything of the kind.
But you did accept it rather than the written notice.
Would it be in order now to give notice that I propose to move to refer back the Taoiseach's Estimate to some time next year?
I am not going to answer a hypothetical question.
You have created a precedent.
No; I took notice of motion from the Chief Whip of the major Opposition Party that they intended, after consultation with the Government, to put down a motion, and he indicated the terms of it.
But we had made our request to the Government and the Government had indicated that they were prepared to give time and we had our motion in first.
I do not know anything that happened between the Government and the Labour Party. That is outside my province and I have no interest in it.
As the Whip of the Labour Party, I got instructions to hand in the motion in writing, which I did. May I take it that I need not do that, that it is sufficient to approach the Chair in the House and say that a motion is going to be put down and that motion will then take priority over any other motion which is submitted in writing to the office? Are we to take it that it is no longer necessary to go to the office with the written notice of the motion and that verbal notice to the Chair is sufficient?
I have stated what happened on this occasion. I am not prepared to discuss hypothetical questions.
It is not hypothetical.
Purely hypothetical.
The only thing hypothetical about it was the suggestion that Fine Gael were putting down a motion while our notice was down in black and white.
There will be a lot of pale faces over there in the next few weeks.
And some red faces in Roscommon, too.
There are a few of them there already—with red herrings.