It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 2, 12, 3, 4, 13 and 14. Private Members' Business will be taken between 6 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. If not already reached, it is proposed to take Nos. 3, 4, 13 and 14 after Private Members' Business.
Order of Business.
On the order of business, I should like to ask how it comes about, particularly in the light of your demurrer on the short notice received on the question proposed by Deputy Cluskey, that I received, three minutes before the House sat, notice from the Ceann Comhairle that two amendments to the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which I put on the Order Paper three months ago, have been discovered to be both out of order—three minutes before the House sat.
I got my notice after the House sat. It may have been there during the past two months.
The Deputy is aware that it is not usual to discuss the Chair's ruling in this fashion. The Deputy has a remedy.
I am not discussing your ruling. I am asking you why, if you think Deputy Cluskey was abrupt with you in notifying you of his question two minutes before he came in, you notified me only three minutes before I came in that amendments put down three months ago——
They were out of order three months ago. What is the difference?
The reason is that we cannot frame any other ones and this was done deliberately for that purpose.
Why do it three minutes before the Dáil sat when we cannot now frame alternative amendments to bring them within the Long Title of the Bill?
What do you want? Did you want us to frame them for you?
I wanted the Ceann Comhairle to tell me in reasonable time that they were not within the terms of the Long Title of the Bill. Then I could have got the assistance of the staff to reframe them to bring them within the Long Title.
The Deputy can put them down for Report Stage.
I cannot put them down for Report Stage and damn well the Minister knows I cannot. This is a serious infringement of the rights of Deputies. We have the assistance here of the staff of Leinster House and this assistance cannot now be invoked. There is a serious breakdown somewhere and I ask the Ceann Comhairle if it is right——
It has been a long-standing practice in the House to notify the Deputy of the matter in which he is interested when the Bill is taken.
As soon as it is put in.
The point I wish to make is that if a Deputy puts down an amendment which does not come within the Long Title of the Bill, he must accept the Ceann Comhairle's ruling but he could then consult the staff of Dáil Éireann to assist him to draft fresh amendments that would come within the Title. However, if the Ceann Comhairle withholds a decision until three minutes before the Committee Stage of the Bill is due, then the Deputy is excluded from raising the matter he desired to raise because he cannot raise on the Fourth Stage that which has not been raised on the Third Stage. Was it an oversight?
The Chair will look into the Deputy's complaint, and if it is a valid one, we will do all we can to assist him.
If the Chair decides that these amendments are relevant to the Bill, will the Bill be recommitted to have them discussed?
We will do nothing of the sort.
The proceedings of the House ought to be orderly and this is not orderly.
Hear, hear.