Before the debate proceeds, I think it would be well if we decided what the procedure is to be. It has been more or less agreed that, if we do not finish to-night by 9 o'clock, we will carry on until 10 o'clock, and if we do not finish at 10 o'clock that we will meet to-morrow at 11 o'clock to finish those two Bills, and not meet at all next week.
Business of Seanad.
Does that mean that to-morrow we will go on to discuss the various motions that come after the Bills, and work a full day?
That is a matter for the House, of course.
That would be a matter for the House to decide when the time comes for a decision on it.
To-morrow?
Yes, to-morrow. It is quite obvious that we will not reach the motions to-night.
Speaking for those who come long distances from the South and West, I have been asked to mention that, as far as they are concerned and as far as I, personally, am concerned, if we meet to-morrow—it is most unusual to meet on a Friday—we will not be able to get home until Saturday night. The general feeling amongst those of us who come long distances—and we usually get some consideration—is that we are prepared to come up for a meeting on a day next week.
I suggest that the matter might be further discussed outside the House.
Can we agree that we sit until 10 o'clock to-night if necessary, and see what we can do?
We may take that as agreed, I presume.
Another consideration is that next Wednesday the Minister will be engaged in the Dáil on the Central Bank Bill, so that if we meet next week it would have to be on Tuesday.
I think it would be better that those arrangements should be discussed outside the House.
I seem to have heard, too, that there is a certain objection to unnecessary expenditure of petrol, and meetings of the Seanad cause a certain amount of that.
We will sit until 10 o'clock to-night.
I take it that if we meet to-morrow we will devote some time, at any rate, to discussion of those motions that have been on the Order Paper for quite a time now?
That matter can be discussed outside the House.