It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2, 7 (resumed), 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15 (Votes 35, 29, 37 and 38). Private Members' Business will be taken from 7 to 8.30 p.m., No. 23, by agreement. It is proposed that the House should sit until 10.30 tonight and tomorrow night. There will be no sos tomorrow. Business will be interrupted at 8.30 p.m. tonight to take No. 15, and the order will not be resumed.
Order of Business.
When is it proposed to publish the White Paper on the economy?
Hopefully, next week but certainly very early in the following week.
Hopefully next week and possibly the week after?
Possibly.
Is it the intention of the Government to adjourn for the Christmas recess next week?
That is a matter to be arranged between the Whips.
But is it intended to adjourn——
No, not next week. It was never intended to adjourn next week but hopefully the following week.
Would we be in a position to discuss the White Paper before the adjournment?
Apparently the parties opposite have no intention whatever of agreeing on any time table. So we shall run on as long as we have to.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The business ordered today proposes that we take the Broadcasting Bill, the Merchant Shipping Bill, the Dairy Produce Bill, the Industrial Credit Bill, the Plant Varieties Bill, Second Stage, and the Payment of Wages Bill, all before 6 p.m. and that between 8.30 and 10.30 p.m. we take the controversial Supplementary Estimates for Education and the Environment and that tomorrow we take two other controversial Bills including Committee Stage of the Landlord and Tenant Bill, which has 82 sections and 40 amendments, and 12 Supplementary Estimates. I want to protest about this way of ordering business. On this side of the House we have no intention of being obstructive or filibustering but we shall not allow either legislation or Estimates go through the House by default and without debate. I want to make that perfectly clear. Not only have the Government got the country into a mess but they cannot even run this House.
The Deputy may not make a speech.
We sat down with the Opposition Whips last week to draw up a programme for business to the recess. While we could obtain agreement on a schedule of business from the Labour Party, the Chief Whip of the Fine Gael Party was unable to get such agreement to any programme. In the event, we have no alternative but to order the business which remains and to take it in the time available. We are making arrangements to provide whatever extra time we can between this and the recess for the discussion of the remaining business.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister proposed a programme of business last week for three days which would occupy the House for a full session and we merely said that it was so absurd and stupid that we could not even discuss it. We will take such business as the Government put before the House but we will deal with it responsibly and with due debate.
We approached the Opposition in a very responsible manner and allowed the selection of additional time for whatever items they wanted to give additional time to. This was quite acceptable to the Labour Party but, as happened at the end of the previous session, the Fine Gael Party decided that they would not have any agreement but would take the business as it comes and let it be debated in that order.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister knows, notwithstanding what the Taoiseach said, that he, the Minister, proposed that all this programme be completed next week and that we adjourn for Christmas next week.
(Interruptions.)
We are not having a debate on this matter now.
In case the Taoiseach would like to withdraw his statement that it was never proposed to conclude next week, that is the proposal that was put to us. I am sure he has inadvertently misled the House.
Inadvertently, yes. I had forgotten that.
Thank you.
In view of the fact that it was and is the intention of the Government to adjourn for Christmas next week, does the Taoiseach not consider it to be a serious breach of an undertaking given to the House that the White Paper on the economy would be published in November and at least give the country some indication as to what thinking the Government have in regard to dealing with the severe economic crisis for which we are heading?
(Interruptions.)
In reply to Deputy FitzGerald, I thought he had looked for an adjournment next week. My Chief Whip says that he had not specifically looked for it. I expressed the hope that we might adjourn next week but there has been no suggestion that we could prime our timetable to permit of an adjournment next week. As I said in reply to the Order of Business, Deputy Fitzpatrick is rearing to go again; he never lets anything go with anybody. In reply to the further question by Deputy Fitzpatrick we will let the business run on for as long as it must up to the Christmas.
(Interruptions.)
(Cavan-Monaghan): I want to clarify the record. That programme of work was put to us last week on the basis that the House would adjourn next week and that cannot be denied.