I move:—
"That the Standing Orders be suspended for the purpose of enabling the remaining stage of the Electricity Agreements (Adaptation) Bill, 1929 to be taken to-day."
Suspension of Standing Orders.
I am in favour of the motion, but I would like to enter a protest against the method that has been adopted of unloading on us here the various stages of Bills and putting them through without adequate consideration. We have four such motions here to-day, and I submit it is not fair to legislation and not fair to the Seanad that this thing should be done wholesale. We have had it before, and I am almost certain that we will have it at the Easter recess and the Summer recess. I suggest that is bad for legislation and for the work of the Seanad. We come to the Committee Stage of a Bill, and then it is rushed through the Report and Fifth Stages.
I submit that in the Committee Stage and the Report Stage many points are discussed upon which we cannot make up our minds in five or ten minutes, and we should have the opportunity of considering them at a later stage of the Bill. I submit the present method is not healthy legislation. I want to enter my protest and that of my Party against wholesale and indiscriminate putting through of Bills at the last moment.
We are all of the same opinion as Senator Connolly. This has happened very frequently, and it ought not to be allowed to interfere in any way with the mode in which this House does its duty by a Bill. There are three or four Bills on the Order Paper which have been passed by suspending Standing Orders. The only excuse for that was that to not one of these Bills was there any amendment. They are Bills which need to be passed hurriedly, but we were not depriving ourselves of the opportunity of considering these Bills. They have been considered, and there were no amendments submitted. I hope that Senators, when dealing with the other Bills on the Paper, if they come across any amendments which, in their opinion, would be of advantage to the Bill, will not hesitate to give expression to their opinion, notwithstanding that the Bill will have to go back to the Dáil.
Question put and agreed to.
Question—"That the Electricity Agreements (Adaptation) Bill, 1929, be received for final consideration and do now pass"—put and agreed to.