It is proposed to take items Nos. 1, 2 and 3.
Order of Business.
I should like to know when motion No. 9 will be taken. I understand that there is some question of legal proceedings but unless legal proceedings have actually been issued it would not be sufficient reason for postponing the taking of this motion. Many Members of the House are very anxious that this motion should be taken as soon as possible. I would be very concerned that it should not be adjourned or postponed merely because there is some not very concrete suggestion of legal proceedings.
I should like to ask the Leader of the House when she intends to take motion No. 10, not for the same reasons as Senator Ryan has said but because the people outside and the parents particularly are waiting for this debate. When I read that even Frank Dunlop is confused about who says what, I should like to ask the Leader of the House when we are taking motion No. 10.
The Chair would point out very forcibly that it is highly disorderly to refer to officials in the House, to people who are not in a position to defend themselves.
I should like to know when motion No. 9 will be taken. There is a great deal of concern about the implementation of Directive 24/81. Are children in disadvantaged areas only to benefit from pre-schooling? The people in every village, hamlet and town in Ireland are up in arms over the Minister's directive to curtail the school entry age.
It is not in order to discuss the substance of the motion.
In view of all the publicity surrounding the possible reform of this House, I should like to know whether the Government have any intention of debating the introduction of legislation to reform this House at any stage?
In view of the widespread anxiety of parents and of children would the Leader of the House consider using her best influence on the powers that be to have motions Nos. 9 and 10 taken as soon as possible?
I should like to thank Senators for bringing up the question of motions Nos. 9 and 10, which every Senator in the House will agree are extremely important. My assurance to this House is that the Minister for Education is very interested in these motions. We were proceeding to arrange that the House would take these motions very quickly. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition in the House, it is the opinion of the Minister — and I share that view — that a quite concrete decision of an organisation to institute legal proceedings was conveyed to the Government Department concerned and this puts quite a different complexion on the question of discussing such a motion in the Houses of the Oireachtas under threat of legal proceedings. It is most regrettable that this should have happened because these motions would have struck us all as being very suitable matter for debate in this House. At the moment I cannot give the House an assurance about when these motions will be taken.
On the question raised by Senator Ross, perhaps the Senator might be the one to give us the opportunity he requires by putting down a motion to discuss this House and its possible development. Perhaps the Committee on Procedure and Privileges would be very interested to hear such a debate involving all the Senators.
Could the Leader of the House tell us whether legal proceedings have been instituted?
I am afraid I do not know that.
In the event of their not being instituted would it not be right and proper that the motions be debated?
The Leader of the House has dealt with that question.
Order of Business agreed to.