It is proposed to take Nos. 1, 2 and 3, in that order.
Order of Business.
A short while ago this House approved of a motion of congratulation of the achievement of independence by Zimbabwe. How were the views of this House made known to those concerned?
I have just sent a copy of the Seanad debate to the Minister for Education in Zimbabwe, who was a colleague of mine in Trinity College some years ago. It will certainly get through to Mr. Mugabe and his Government.
I should like to put on the record of the House that the practice followed when the House agrees to a motion is that copies of it are sent to the Secretary of the Department of the Taoiseach and to the Secretary of such other Department or Departments as have official responsibilities in relation to the subject matter of the motion. In the debate on 16 April 1980 on a motion which was agreed to, welcoming the emergence of the Zimbabwean Republic in the names of Senators Keating and Robinson, the view was expressed that copies of the motion should be communicated to the Zimbabwean authorities. In view of these remarks, the Department of Foreign Affairs, to whom a copy of the resolution was sent, were asked what action they would be taking regarding it. The Department stated that a copy would be sent by diplomatic channels to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Zimbabwe, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, with a request that the text be communicated to the Zimbabwean Parliament. It may be added that it is open to the House to direct the Cathaoirleach to communicate the text of a resolution, such as that on Zimbabwe, to the Parliament concerned. The most appropriate way to do this would be to incorporate the direction in the resolution.
On the Order of Business, what does the Leader of the House anticipate might be the Order of Business next week?
Without making a commitment, it appears that we will be taking Nos. 4 and 5 and perhaps some other matters as well.
Order of Business agreed to.