We have not as yet adopted any Standing Orders. A Committee has been appointed to draw up Standing Orders. The Dáil has drawn up Standing Orders for itself, and it is quite likely that the majority of these will be found acceptable to you. Probably it would be a wise thing if in the meantime we were, by resolution, to adopt these, pending formation of our own Standing Orders. That would not bind us to keep them perpetually, but it will enable us to have some Standing Orders to work under until our own Committee has adopted suitable Orders for the Seanad.
STANDING ORDERS.
AN CATHAOIRLEACH
That was understood yesterday, but I will now formally move:—"That the Standing Orders of Dáil Eireann be Standing Orders for the Seanad, as far as they are applicable, pending the adoption of our own Standing Orders."
Before this motion is put, I understand that Standing Orders have been drafted for the Seanad, and I understood they were to be submitted to us to-day. They were drawn up, I was told, by Mr. Darrell Figgis.
AN CATHAOIRLEACH
I am afraid that would be an invasion of our rights that we are not likely to submit to. If we are not competent to draw up our own Standing Orders we would certainly not justify our position. What we did arrange yesterday was that we should adopt the Standing Orders of the other House until the Committee which we appointed has drawn up Standing Orders for our own use. That was not, however, put in the form of a resolution.
I have pleasure in seconding the proposal of Senator Sir Thomas Esmonde.
Question put: "That the Standing Orders of Dáil Eireann be adopted by Seanad Eireann, in as far as they are applicable, until the Committee appointed by the Seanad has drawn up suitable Standing Orders."
Agreed.