It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 3, in that order.
Order of Business.
On the Order of Business, may I ask Senator Ó Maoláin if he has received any information about motion No. 10 which deals with civil rights? He said last week that he hoped the motion would be taken before the dissolution of the House and I am sure he must be listening to what is happening elsewhere and that he must realise that that event is not very far away. In view of the importance of this matter, would the Leader of the House have it included in today's Order of Business?
I am not aware of what Senator McQuillan is referring to as happening elsewhere. I do not know of anything that is happening elsewhere but the Senator must have no sense of humour if he thinks that by taking a motion like that it would result in any legislation before whatever he is referring to might happen. There is no prospect of the legislation going through before the general election, whether that be in October or in March next. There would be a long drawn out debate on this motion.
I do not think so in view of the fact that Senator Ó Maoláin himself, on the 12th July, 1961, moved the motion at a special meeting of the Joint Committee on the Electoral Law and in view of the fact that this motion, which is on the Order Paper in the names of Senator Sheehy Skeffington and myself, is a result of what was passed in 1961 by the Joint Committee on Electoral Law as moved by Senator Ó Maoláin. There should not be any great difficulty about getting it through and I suggest, therefore, that it be included in today's Order of Business.
Many Bills have appeared on the Order Paper which apparently did not seem to present any great difficulty but which resulted in 12 or 14 hours of debate.
In support of what Senator McQuillan says, perhaps we could hear from Senator Ó Maoláin whether he is supporting us in this motion, as I would assume he would?
The Senator knows very well that it is a publicity gimmick.
There are no gimmicks attached to the fact that 45 years have been spent waiting for civil rights and if this House passes the motion it will have a big bearing.
Question put: "To add ‘and 10' after ‘3' on the motion for the Order of Business".
The Seanad divided: Tá, 12; Níl, 20.
Tá
- Conlan, John F.
- Dooge, James C.I.
- FitzGerald, Garret M.D.
- McDonald, Charles.
- McHugh, Vincent.
- McQuillan, Jack.
- Malone, Patrick.
- Mannion, John.
- Murphy, Dominick F.
- Rooney, Éamon.
- Sheehy Skeffington, Owen L.
- Stanford, William B.
Níl
- Ahern, Liam.
- Boland, Gerald.
- Brennan, John J.
- Browne, Seán.
- Eachthéirn, Cáit Uí.
- Killilea, Mark.
- McGowan, Patrick.
- Martin, James J.
- Nash, John Joseph.
- Ó Donnabháin, Seán.
- Egan, Kieran P.
- Farrell, Joseph.
- Fitzsimons, Patrick.
- Flanagan, Thomas P.
- Honan, Dermot P.
- Ó Maoláin, Tomás.
- Ryan, Eoin.
- Ryan, William.
- Teehan, Patrick J.
- Yeats, Michael.
Tellers:— Tá: Senators McQuillan and Sheehy Skeffington; Níl: Senators Browne and Farrell.
Question declared lost.
Order of business as proposed by Senator Ó Maoláin agreed to.
Nos. 1 and 2 are being taken together.