Since the question of the next meeting of the Seanad was raised earlier this afternoon, I have received intimation that it would be more convenient to meet on Tuesday or Wednesday next than to meet on Friday of this week and a day next week. Am I to take it that there is general agreement on that?
Business of the Seanad.
I should like to make some observations on that suggestion. I should like to press very strongly that the Second Reading of these two Bills be taken this week so as to allow an interval for reflection before consideration of the further stages. We could then take all the remaining stages next week. It seems to me to be a mistake to huddle all the stages of these important Bills— important in principle—into one week, as we should be doing if we decline to sit on Friday. Personally, I do not see why we should not sit to-morrow. I do not know on what principle we are imposing a severer standard on the Legislature in regard to doing work on the afternoon of Church holidays than we impose on any other class of the community. Assuming that that is the established practice, that Senators do not like to break through it and that we are not to sit to-morrow, I do urge that the least we might do is to sit on Friday on the understanding that we should dispose of the Second Reading of these two Bills on that day.
Is it not the established practice that the Seanad does not meet on Church holy days?
That is not in question at the moment.
Friday evening is a very bad time for meeting at this season. It is very inconvenient for people who have business to do. I should be opposed to any meeting of the Seanad on Friday afternoon. It might be possible to meet at 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock on Friday but the better course would be to meet next Tuesday, rather than on Friday.
I suggested that we meet on Tuesday but, as Senator MacDermot has pointed out, that would allow of only a very short interval between the Second Reading and the Committee Stage. If there is no strong difference of opinion, I now suggest that we act on Senator MacDermot's proposal, and meet on Friday.
On Friday morning?
What hour of the day would we meet on Friday?
If it is agreed that we meet on Friday, we can then proceed to fix the hour.
Have we got the Bills yet?
No.
May I suggest it would be better to defer consideration of the day and time of meeting until we get the Bills and have a definite assurance that they are certified as Money Bills—a matter which makes a very big difference to this House. In the interval, Senators could, "through the usual channels," as is said in the other House, come to terms as to the day and time of meeting.
Agreed.