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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 1980

Vol. 322 No. 9

Sittings and Business of Dáil: Motion.

I move:

That notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders and in the Resolution of the Dáil of 12th October, 1977 (as amended by the Resolution of 14th December, 1977)—

(i) the Dáil sit later than 9 p.m. to-day and to-morrow and later than 5.30 p.m. on Thursday next and that the hour at which business is to be interrupted each day be 10.30 p.m.;

(ii) consideration of Government business be not interrupted this week at the time fixed for taking private Members' business;

(iii) in the case of each of the following Bills where the proceedings have not already concluded the Question necessary to bring them to a conclusion shall be put from the Chair to-day at the time indicated; and the Question to be put from the Chair shall be (as the case may require) "That (the Bill is hereby read a second time and that) (all amendments set down by the Member in charge of the Bill for Committee Stage and not disposed of are hereby made to the Bill) the Bill (as amended) is hereby agreed to and (as amended), is reported to the House and (all amendments set down by the Member in charge of the Bill for Report Stage, including any requiring Recommittal, and not disposed of are hereby made to the Bill and Recommittal and Fourth Stages are hereby completed and) the Bill is hereby passed":

Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1980—4.15 p.m.

Fishery Harbour Centres Bill, 1980—4.45 p.m.

Pyramid Selling Bill, 1980—5.15 p.m.

Export Promotion (Amendment) Bill, 1980—6 p.m.

Trading Stamps Bill, 1979— 6.30 p.m.

(iv) the motions in the name of the Minister for Foreign Affairs approving (a) The Food Aid Convention and (b) the International Natural Rubber Agreement, 1979, if not previously disposed of shall be disposed of at 7.45 p.m. today by putting from the Chair forthwith and successively the necessary Questions to bring them to a conclusion.

(v) in the case of each of the following Bills which the proceedings have not already concluded the Question necessary to bring them to a conclusion shall be put from the Chair to-day at the time indicated; and the Question to be put from the Chair shall be (as the case may require) "That (all amendments set down by the Member in charge of the Bill, including any requiring Recommittal and not disposed of are hereby made to the Bill and Recommittal and Fourth Stages are hereby completed and) the Bill is hereby passed by":

Ombudsman (No. 2) Bill, 1979—8.30 p.m.

National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Bill, 1980—9.30 p.m.

(vi) in the debate on the motion in the name of the Minister for Foreign Affairs relating to measures controlling and regulating exports to Iran, the speech of the member of the Government opening the debate and the speeches of the first speaker from Fine Gael and the first speaker from the Labour Party shall not exceed 15 minutes each; and a member of the Government shall be called on not later than 10.15 p.m. to conclude the debate not later than 10.30 a.m.;

(vii) the following arrangements shall apply in the debate tomorrow and on Thursday next on the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach for the year ending 31 December, 1980 (and the Estimate for an Chomhairle Ealaíon taken in conjunction therewith):—

(a) the speech of the member of the Government opening the debate and the speeches of the first speaker from Fine Gael and from the Labour Party shall not exceed one hour each;

(b) the speech of each other Member called (other than the final three speakers) shall not exceed 30 minutes; and

(c) the final speaker from the Labour Party and the final speaker from Fine Gael shall be called on not later than 8.15 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively on Thursday next and a member of the Government shall be called on not later tan 9.45 p.m. to conclude the debate not later than 10.30 p.m.; provided that if a division be demanded on either Estimate such division(s) shall be taken forthwith;

(viii) the division on the Estimate for Health for the year ending 31 December, 1980, the taking of which was postponed on 20 June, 1980, shall, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders and in the Resolution of the Dáil of 23 April, 1980, be taken on Thursday next immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on the business referred to in paragraph (vii).

I take it the Chair is not going back on his ruling in relation to the adjournment debate?

On a point of order, as Deputy Browne has said there have been serious allegations made——

That is not a point of order.

——and I am asking the Chair in what way——

The Chair has ruled.

——this can be brought before the House?

That is not a matter for the Chair at this stage.

I am asking——

Who else is it a matter for if it is not a matter for you, Sir?

Does that mean then that any journalist can say anything about a Minister of State or any Member of the House?

Is that what it means?

Item No. 3 has already been moved.

Does that mean that any journalist can say what he likes? I am asking the Chair?

Will Deputy Harte please resume his seat?

I am asking——

I have asked Deputy Harte to resume his seat. That is not a point of order. Item No. 3 is before the House.

Who else can the Deputy appeal to if not to you, Sir?

On the Order of Business——

Does the Deputy wish to raise some other matter on the Order of Business.

On the Order of Business is it not a fact that, irrespective of what appears in Standing Orders, if there is an agreement by all parties in the House that Standing Orders can be suspended, and in view of the very grave matters contained in the articles referred to in the questions which were put, could I ask the Taoiseach if he would be agreeable to suspend Standing Orders in this respect to allow him to answer these pertinent questions?

Unless they are denied they are validated.

Could I ask the Taoiseach if he would be agreeable to that?

That is not in order on the Order of Business. Item No. 3 is before the House.

Surely the Taoiseach can recognise that it is in his interests and particularly in the interests of the country——

Item No. 3 is before the House. Deputies should not abuse the great and essential privilege they have in this House.

(Interruptions.)

They should not abuse it.

I am not challenging, Sir. On a point of order——

It is not a point of order.

I have not made it yet, so how do you know, Sir?

The Deputy has made one already that was not a point of order.

On a point of order, irrespective of whether I agree or not with your ruling, I have no choice but to accept it. However, I would point out that there are uncounted precedents where, with the agreement of the House, Standing Orders may be suspended. I am asking the Taoiseach if he would agree in this instance to Standing Orders being suspended to give him an opportunity to reply to the allegations made in the Magill article, not only in his own and the Government's interests but in the interests of the country.

That is not a point of order.

Will the Taoiseach reply?

Item No. 3 has already been proposed. Is it agreed?

The Chair is not entitled to rule it out of order.

Deputy FitzGerald should be the first to obey the Chair.

The Taoiseach's silence is eloquent.

There is a conspiracy.

Item No. 3 has already been proposed. Is it agreed?

I wish to refer to a matter in Item No. 3.

There is one correction in Item No. 3 on page 1376 of the Order Paper where "10.30 a.m." should read "10.30 p.m.".

Do we take it that debate on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1980, is to conclude at 4.15 p.m.?

If the motion is agreed, yes.

It was understood that three-quarters of an hour would be allowed and ten minutes of that time has now elapsed and I am asking——

The question will be put at 4.15 p.m. in accordance with the order we are now making and which the Chair must carry out.

I am proposing an amendment that each time shown in the motion should be altered to ten minutes later.

There can be no amendments to the motion but the Deputy may oppose it and vote against it if he wishes.

It was agreed that there would be flexibility of five or ten minutes.

That is not stated in the motion before the House. If the motion is agreed the Chair must carry it out.

Deputies may talk over what they like. I cannot see a spare minute.

We were given to understand that there would be a flexibility of five or ten minutes and that should be allowed.

The Chair will not fall out with the Deputy over five or ten minutes, but the last item will suffer.

Question put and agreed to.
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