Vol. 265 No. 2
It is proposed to take business in the following order: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 15 and 11, and in 11, Votes 47 to 22, inclusive, as on the Order Paper. If the House agrees, it is proposed to take all Stages of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1973, after No. 15.
Deputy Blaney rose.
I should like to ask one or two questions arising from the Order of Business.
It does not arise from the Order of Business which has just been repeated by the Ceann Comhairle.
Am I in order or is Deputy Blaney in order?
I am calling on Deputy Lynch.
In the event of my Motion, No. 9, not being accepted will No. 10 then be separately proposed and debated?
They will be debated together and voted on separately.
There are two other questions I wish to put. Will the Taoiseach give some indication of when the British White Paper on Northern Ireland will be debated and, in a general way, will he tell us when the budget is likely to be introduced?
A Ceann Comhairle——
I am calling on the Taoiseach to reply if the Deputy will permit him to reply.
It is not a question of permitting anybody to reply. It is a question of having some right in the House. I offered on the Order of Business and you called on Deputy Lynch.
The Deputy is not entitled to take precedence.
It is not a question of my taking precedence. I was on my feet before Deputy Lynch and it was my intention to ask about the White Paper.
The Deputy will get his turn.
I will not get my turn. I am being denied by the Chair. There is collusion at the moment——
That is an unfair insinuation.
It may be unfair, but just place yourself up here and look at it.
You put yourself up there, lad.
As far as the budget is concerned, Deputy Lynch will appreciate that the general election interrupted the normal timetable for the preparation of the Estimates. It is anticipated that the Estimates will be ready and that the budget can be introduced early in May. In regard to the White Paper, there has not been a request for a debate. Do I take it from Deputy Lynch——
This is a formal request.
It will be considered.
Deputy Blaney.
That is exactly what I wanted to suggest but the Leader of the Opposition knew it and angled in. When will we have this debate,
Probably it will be arranged between the Whips later today.
I should like to point out that any relevance such a debate may have will exist only if the debate is allowed in the very near future.
