It is proposed to take the business as on the Order Paper——
Order of Business.
I have handed in notice of my intention to raise a matter on the Adjournment. Would the Senator mind referring to that before he proceeds?
That can be done after the order of business. It is intended to take business as on the Order Paper, except that No. 3—Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill, 1955 —will not be taken to-day. Since No. 5 will, I think, in accordance with practice, be referred to a Special Committee, No. 6, the motion, will certainly be reached to-day. On the Adjournment to-day, I think we will have to adjourn sine die. The next business will be the Finance Bill and it will not be ready for some weeks.
I handed in a notice, Sir, and I was wondering if you could give me a ruling on it.
I have received the following notice from Senator McHugh:—
"I wish to give notice of my intention to raise the following matter on the adjournment of to-day's sitting:—
"To call the attention of the Minister for Local Government to a recent report in the public Press to the effect that he had stated publicly that universities were the curse of the country."
My ruling on that is that the Minister for Local Government has no function whatever in regard to universities and, so, I do not propose to permit the matter to be raised.
I accept your ruling, Sir, but I should like to protest here against the statement attributed to the Minister for Local Government.
On a point of order, may I inquire whether, if Senator McHugh's notice to raise the matter on the Adjournment was put down with regard to the Minister for Education, it would have been in order? It seems to be a statement which certainly should be brought before the Oireachtas and I should simply like to know would it be in order, if it were put before the Minister for Education.
The Minister for Education has no responsibility for the pronouncements of the Minister for Local Government, nor has he responbility for universities, which, I think Senator Stanford will agree with me, is a very good thing.
Surely the Senator will agree that I can hardly rule on a point of order, until I have the point of order put before me.
Is there such a thing as collective responsibility in the Government?
That would not work, either.