Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Jun 1942

Vol. 26 No. 15

Business of Seanad.

Cathaoirleach

We shall wait for the Minister for Local Government and Public Health before proceeding with item No. 1 on the Order Paper. With regard to item No. 2, motion in the name of Senator Quirke, there is no certainty that the Minister for Education will be available this evening as the Education Estimates are at the moment under consideration in the Dáil. Should the Minister be free to attend the Seanad later in the evening, we shall then take motion No. 2. As regards item No. 3, resumed motion in the name of Senator Douglas, there is a communication from Senator Douglas intimating that he will be unavoidably absent from the Seanad this evening and asking to have further consideration of the motion postponed until the next sitting day. I take it that the Seanad agrees to that course?

Agreed.

The McGillycuddy of the Reeks

In that event we shall take item No. 4 after item No. 1 has been finished.

Cathaoirleach

Yes.

The McGillycuddy

As Senator Sir John Keane is not present, would it be possible to procure the attendance of the Minister to proceed with No. 5 on the agenda?

Cathaoirleach

The trouble there, Senator, is that the Clerk has intimated to the Minister for Agriculture that he would probably not be required until half-past five, and the Minister may have made other arrangements.

Mr. M. Hayes

What is preventing the Minister for Local Government from being here?

Cathaoirleach

We have not had any communication from him. The assumption was that he would be here at 3 o'clock. Perhaps I had better explain and apologise to the House for this unexpected delay in proceeding with the business on the Order Paper. The provisional Order Paper was sent to the Minister on Wednesday last, in the absence of representation from him that he would be here at the commencement of business.

Mr. M. Hayes

Will you take an adjournment motion? I suggest that we should adjourn until 4 o'clock. I think it is the only practical thing we could do.

Mr. Goulding

If there is no chance of the Minister attending before that, the wisest course is to adjourn the House until 4 o'clock. But can we have an assurance that the Minister can be present then?

Mr. M. Hayes

We cannot have that. We can adjourn until 4 o'clock, and if he is not here, then we can see what we will do.

Cathaoirleach

I take it that motion is agreed. We will adjourn accordingly to 4 o'clock and see what the position will be then.

Business suspended at 3.20 p.m. and resumed at 4 p.m.

Cathaoirleach

The Minister has asked me to state that owing to a misunderstanding regarding the arrangement for to-day's business of the House, he was not present at the sitting of the House at 3 o'clock. He has asked me to convey his apologies and tender his regrets to Senators.