I move that the Second Stage be taken on Thursday, 11th March, 1976.
Social Welfare Bill, 1976: Order for Second Stage.
In view of the urgency of this Bill, which was only circulated this morning and which a number of Deputies have not received yet, could the Parliamentary Secretary or the Minister say why it could not have been circulated before now if it is required tomorrow?
I would hope that it would be taken tomorrow subject to agreement with the Opposition. As the Deputy is aware by agreement the Dáil is not sitting next week. The only reason I request tomorrow is to give the Opposition the maximum amount of time possible to discuss the Bill.
(Interruptions.)
That is conditional on when we have examined the Bill. I would, for the record, point out that there is no question of agreement. It is the Government who decided that we will not sit next week. There was no question of agreement.
Do the Opposition disagree with it?
We were not asked to agree or disagree.
The Parliamentary Secretary should not be smart alecky now.
The matter then is ordered for tomorrow.
Would you allow me to say that the Government's intention in regard to St. Patrick's Day week was elicited by a question by Deputy Lynch, the Leader of the Opposition, about three weeks ago? The Taoiseach, in reply to that question, said it was in accordance with precedent established on three occasions in the last 25 years that the Dáil would not sit in the week in which St. Patrick's Day fell on a Wednesday. That was accepted on all sides without further comment by the House.
Could we refer that to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges?