I move:
That notwithstanding anything contained in Standing Order 46 of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the motion in the name of Deputy Liam Cosgrave regarding Mr. James Gibbons, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, may be moved in Private Members' Time on Tuesday, 27th April, 1971; and that notwithstanding anything contained in Standing Order 87 debate on the motion shall be brought to a conclusion at 7.30 p.m. on that day by the putting forthwith from the Chair of the question necessary to bring it to a conclusion.
The purpose of moving this motion, which is similar, if not identical, to a motion put forward on behalf of the Taoiseach on the 29th October last, is to enable a matter that has directly or indirectly been the subject of discussion in the House to be considered within the rule known as the six months rule. The circumstances in which I have put down this motion at the present time is because of a document sent to the Committee of Public Accounts by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries which would appear to conflict with information given to the House in May last. I, at this stage, do not propose to elaborate on the terms of the document, because I think Deputies have already seen it and members of the Committee of Public Accounts are aware of it. The matters that were the subject of discussion here as recently as May last are sufficiently fresh in the minds of Deputies not to need repetition. However, because of the apparent conflict between the terms of the communication addressed by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries to the Committee of Public Accounts and the statements made, both by the Minister, and by the Taoiseach on behalf of the Government as well as on his own behalf, on a number of occasions, in particular on 14th May, 1970, I submit the requirements of Standing Order 46 should be suspended. This should be done for the purpose of discussing the motion which has been tabled in my name and which is referred to in the motion I move now. Because of the advent of financial business with the proposed introduction of the Budget tomorrow, it is unlikely that time will be afforded in the immediate future for Private Members' Business and, accordingly, I submit that this particular motion is necessary to suspend the Standing Order to which I have referred, and to enable the matter to be discussed and put not later than 7.30 p.m. this evening.