Before I call on the Leader of the House for the Order of Business I would like to say that when he concludes, Senators are not entitled to ask questions. Whatever questions they have, let them ask them before he concludes.
Order of Business.
It is proposed to order today Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the Order Paper. There is agreement between the groups in the House that all stages of No. 1 should conclude by 2.30 p.m. today and, accordingly, there will be no early signature motion. If No. 1 concludes all its stages before 1.30 p.m. it is proposed to rise from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. but if it is not concluded by 1.30 p.m. we will sit through the extra hour in order to conclude it. No. 4 is the statement by the Tánaiste and Minister for Energy, which was requested yesterday and the proposal is that this statement should be made at 2.30 p.m. and that the procedure should be a statement by the Tánaiste and an opportunity to a representative of each of the groups to ask a question related to point of clarification. There will be no series of statements and no debate. It is not anticipated that the Tánaiste's statement will exceed ten minutes and, accordingly, the whole proceedings should not occupy more than 15 minutes. When that is concluded we will then revert to No. 2, if it has not already been commenced. As is usual, no new business will be commenced at a time within an hour of the time of rising.
Yesterday Senator Lanigan raised the question of the amount of time necessary to be devoted to legislation in order to get through our business and I undertook to have a meeting of representatives of groups. There was general agreement at that meeting that at ordinary times it might be more appropriate instead of devoting one day to legislation and one day to the discussion of committee reports that we should devote one-and-a-half days to legislation and a half-day to committee reports. In other words that Wednesdays and Thursday mornings be devoted to legislation and Thursday afternoons be devoted to the discussion of reports. However, as I indicated yesterday there will be two measures coming to us within the month of May, the Finance Bill and the Constitutional Amendment Bill, both of which will almost certainly require to be passed by the end of the month. Accordingly, I think it only right to say that during the month of May, because of this particularly heavy programme, there is a certainty that the Seanad will have to meet for three days a week, from the week after next onwards and the possibility of having to meet four days in one week is not excluded.
Is the Order of Business agreed?
Just to double-check on No. 4. As I had arranged with the Tánaiste to make the statement, the Leader has suggested that there may be supplementary questions. Do I take it that these will be questions arising out of the Tánaiste's statement? Otherwise, we are going to have a debate and I do not think that is what is envisaged. Therefore I take it that if people wish to speak on a point of clarity on what he says, that is the subject matter for questions.
I would like to be here to see how we define "clarity" when it comes.
You stated, a Chathaoirligh, that in future questions cannot be asked after the Leader has announced the business.
No, when he has concluded. Whatever questions have to be asked must be asked before he concludes. That is the normal procedure.
I want to thank the Leader of the House for the enunciation of the business he has given us over the next few months. I think it is necessary that we may have to sit on four days. If that is the case, so be it. The business he has on his proposed list is essential business. I would just like to thank him for the clarity with which he laid out the business for the next few months and the fact that he sat down and did it within half an hour of being asked by us to do it.
I would like to say, as perhaps I have said it a few times in private, that the present Leader of the House is definitely somebody who has managed to order the business of this House in a way that suits his own priorities and also manages to facilitate and be very helpful to the rest of us. I would like to associate myself with Senator Lanigan's remarks. They are appropriate and well deserved.
The Leader of the House to conclude on the Order of Business.
My appropriate conclusion is to thank those Members not only for the remarks that have just been passed, but to thank all Members, and particularly the group representatives with whom I have to deal, on their cooperation in running this House smoothly. We can all congratulate ourselves on the fact that the business which is given to us is dispatched with efficiency and the arrangements for that dispatch are made with good humour.
Order of Business agreed to.