It is proposed to take Business in the following order: Nos. 1,2 and 3.
Order of Business.
May I ask the Chair whether Senator Ó Maoláin has any news for me regarding Motion No. 9 and whether there is a possibility that the motion will be taken in the near future? This motion is in connection with the dismissal of a trade unionist by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
I have not any news at the moment.
The Minister is not available.
I take it that it will be the Minister for Labour who will discuss the motion and I urge on the Leader of the House the desirability of having this matter satisfactorily resolved before there is a general election.
Might I say, as I am the seconder of the motion, that it seems to be entirely unsatisfactory that the Leader of the House is content just to tell the House that he does not know when the motion will be taken and, apparently, he does not care?
I do not require any lecture from the Senator who, at the proceedings to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the First Dáil, interrupted proceedings which had already been agreed on.
As one who remained suitably silent on that occasion, might I ask the Leader of the House if he would look into the question of these motions some of which have been before the House for quite some time, some even for as long as 18 months, and the Government have still not found time to debate them? As a general election appears to be looming up, the Leader of the House should try and see to it that some of the business is cleared off in the next few weeks so that we can end up our term of office with a clean slate.
The Senator may not be aware of it, but some of these motions were scheduled for consideration three weeks ago but, owing to unfortunate circumstances having arisen, they were postponed.