I move:—
"That a House Committee be appointed, to consist of the Cathaoirleach and five Senators, with power to act during the Recess."
HOUSE COMMITTEE.
Would the Senator not elaborate this motion for us? It is unprecedented. I have been in this House since it first sat and this is the first occasion on which a motion such as this was made. Personally, I do not understand what it means.
CATHAOIRLEACH
The explanation is quite simple, and I do not think this is the first time that a motion like this has been made. The Senator will remember that at the beginning of this session I called attention to the fact that while we had previously a Joint Committee of both Houses to look after accommodation for the members of the Oireachtas in connection with the Restaurant and the other portion of the House, the Dáil had passed a resolution asking for a Joint Committee to deal with one thing only—the Restaurant, leaving out the question of the other accommodation. I suggested to the Seanad that they should not acquiesce in that message until they had found out exactly why the Dáil had altered the procedure of previous years, when a Joint Committee looked after both matters. I had an interview with the Ceann Comhairle and he told me that the Dáil seemed to be of opinion that they could safely leave the question of general accommodation, so far as their House was concerned, in his hands. I do not want that responsibility for myself as regards the Seanad and, accordingly, I suggested to the House that a separate committee should be appointed to look after those housing questions on our behalf. This motion is merely in accord with that statement.
That satisfies me. When I read that the Committee were "to act" I did not know what was intended.
Question put and agreed to.
CATHAOIRLEACH
The Selection Committee will decide as to the members.
The Seanad adjourned at 2.40 p.m.