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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 15 Dec 1982

Vol. 339 No. 2

Supplementary Estimates, 1982. - Business of Dáil.

Before you adjourn the Dáil, I must point out that the Government have seriously mishandled today's business. We have dealt with these pretty routine items, as one would have expected, in a very short time because they are items about which there is no dispute. As the outgoing Government were responsible for preparing the legislation it could have been anticipated that we would facilitate their passage through the Dáil. The Government brought us here today to transact this business and no other business and it now appears they are ready to bring the House back tomorrow I understand for the sole purpose of enabling the Taoiseach to announce his Ministers of State. Surely at this late stage it would be possible for him to come into the House and announce the Ministers of State so that we could adjourn for the Christmas recess and thereby save the taxpayers a very considerable amount of money. I accept that an incoming Government take a little time to settle down and organise business and we are quite prepared to give then every allowance and facility in that regard but this is going a bit far——

The Chair does not wish to interrupt the Deputy but wishes to point out that while a short intervention at this stage would be in order the Chair does not think a long speech would be in order.

I will conclude, but seeing that we were brought here at 2.30 p.m. and that we are about to adjourn at 3.40 p.m. I think the Chair could spare me a few moments on this important aspect. We are prepared to be understanding about the problems facing the new Government in getting to grips with the business they have to do in the short time available to them but I think this is absolutely gross mismanagement. As I said, we have heard a great deal about reform of the Dáil. With Fine Gael in particular and, to some extent, the Labour Party it has become a major topic and something they are continually advocating but if this is a sample of the sort of reform of the Dáil we are going to have, then we do not want to have any more of it.

I must protest on behalf of the members of my party. We are all here today and apparently we are expected to provide the quorum. I must protest at this mishandling of Dáil business and the way the new Government are treating the House. At this late stage I suggest that the Chair would adjourn the House for one hour in order to enable the Taoiseach to come to the House and announce his Ministers of State. Then we could adjourn for the Christmas recess.

(Dún Laoghaire): I think the Leader of the Opposition is being rather unfair. As he is aware, the new Government were elected yesterday and we have tried to deal with the business left over by his Government. In addition, we found that the Kilkenny Design Workshops Bill, 1982, must be passed before the Dáil goes into the Christmas recess together with the Salmon, Eel and Oyster (Miscellaneous Licences) (Alteration of Duties) Order, 1982, which, has to be dealt with before we go into recess. The reason they were not on the Order Paper is that the Bill in connection with the Kilkenny Design Workshops was not circulated and we were not aware of that until we went into office yesterday. Rather than ask the House to take a Bill that has not been circulated, it was decided to meet tomorrow.

The Appropriation Bill was only circulated today.

The business as ordered for today has concluded.

We are aware of that.

The Dáil adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 16 December 1982.

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