It is proposed to take Nos. 13 (Votes 19, 20, 22 and 49 and Votes 44 and 45) and 8. By agreement, the Dáil shall sit later than 5.30 p.m. today and not later than 10.30 p.m. and business shall be interrupted at 10 p.m. The sitting shall be suspended at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. today. The Dáil shall meet at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow and shall adjourn not later than 5 p.m. Also by agreement the proceedings on Votes 19, 20, 22 and 49 shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 1.30 p.m. today and the Minister for the Public Service shall be called on to conclude not later than 1.15 p.m. Also by agreement the proceedings on Votes 44 and 45 shall be brought to a conclusion not later than 6 p.m. today and the Minister for Foreign Affairs shall be called on to conclude not later than 5.45 p.m. Also by agreement, if a division is challenged on any Estimate today the taking of such division shall be postponed until 8.30 p.m. next Wednesday.
Order of Business.
Are all the various items agreed? Agreed.
Dún Laoghaire): It is understood that the Estimate in relation to the Ombudsman's Office would also be discussed today. The Opposition agreed to that. They will recall that they asked for it to be discussed in conjunction with the Public Service Estimate.
The Estimate on the Ombudsman was referred to but we did not reach any agreement on that.
(Dún Laoghaire): What I meant was that in relation to the Chair it be discussed. The Leader of the Opposition asked that——
You may recall that, despite being interrupted by your good self as disorderly at the time——
That is unlikely.
——I indicated that while we were agreeing to the Estimate for technical reasons so that it could be passed, we were not agreeing at all that this extraordinary sum of money should be allocated at this time. The Government Chief Whip is now saying that we can refer again to this today in the Estimate for the Public Service.
(Dún Laoghaire): That was the agreement.
We were afraid that if we did not do that they would complain to the Ombudsman.
They are having a few causes for complaint these days.