It is intended to take items Nos. 1 and 2 today. When I say Nos. 1 and 2 it depends on whether we finish the Customs and Excise (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill. If we finish it at a reasonable time we will go on to the Companies (No. 2) Bill but if it goes later we will not go ahead.
Order of Business.
There are a number of problems with that. First, could I ask the Leader of the House about the customs and excise Bill? Yesterday in the course of a very good debate a number of fairly serious problems arose on that Bill. I think the objective of everybody is the same on the Bill but I would ask that, unless certain changes can be made, Report Stage will not be taken today to allow time for possible changes which people on all sides might like to see made to it.
Second, yesterday I asked the Leader of the House about item No. 34 on the Order Paper and whether time could be made available for that and I think in the heat of the moment he did not get around to replying. Finally, for some time now all of the different parties have been asking if it would be possible at some stage in this session that we could have a debate on the 50th anniversary of the Constitution and if he has given any further thought to that matter?
I should like to ask the Leader of the House when it is intended to take item No. 10 on the Order Paper which is a debate on the developments in the Community since 1986? Unfortunately we have not had an opportunity to review or discuss European affairs for some time. I hold that this debate is overdue and perhaps the Leader of the House might give some indication of when it may be possible to fit it in?
I wish to reiterate the point made by Senator Manning on the question of the customs and excise Bill. Anybody who listened to the debate yesterday would feel that perhaps the Government might agree to have another look at some of the sections and perhaps add to them or make some changes in them. I believe it would be in the interests of good order and good business if we decided not to take Report Stage of this Bill. It would allow quick movement on Committee Stage and would also allow people to consider where we might be on Report Stage.
Secondly, I would like to compliment the Leader of the House for finally seeing the light on the need for a debate on the Estimates. Finally, the Companies (No. 2) Bill is of serious importance to many of us, and there are many amendments to it. It is important to know what time we intend to finish this afternoon so that we can plan the day around that area? I did not hear a time mentioned.
Let me simply add my voice to my colleagues and ask that Report Stage of the customs and excise Bill not be taken today. Serious problems, different from the ones Senator J. O'Toole and I started off worrying about, emerged in the course of the debate to do with whether the Bill will achieve the objective which the Government and all of us believe it should achieve. Therefore there is a very serious need to pause for reflection and reconsideration. I ask that Report Stage not be taken today.
In relation to Senator McDonald's point there is a long list of reports to be discussed. Can I ask the Leader of the House whether he will at some time in the near future give us time to discuss item No. 14 on the Order Paper which is the report of the Joint Committee on Co-operation with Developing Countries in the light of the extraordinary decision of the Government to penalise the poorest in the world in order to pay off the banks in this country and in Europe by cutting down our foreign aid. We ought to discuss that report. I particularly invite my colleagues in Fianna Fáil to explain their position on it in a debate like that. I ask the Leader of the House to give time for that debate. That report has been awaiting discussion for approximately 12 months. It is quite evident that, if we wait too long, there will be no development co-operation to discuss.
I support Senator Ryan in that call to discuss item No. 14 and also perhaps the Leader might bring us up-to-date on a question we raised about a fortnight ago on the Government's position on the re-establishment of the Joint Committee on Co-operation with Developing Countries.
Senators Manning, McDonald, O'Toole and Ryan mentioned the need to have the Report Stage of the customs and excise Bill delayed and I do not see any problem there. We will debate Item No. 34 in the very near future, I will not give a definite commitment today. Regarding the question of reports of committees, because of the amount of Government business coming in it will not be possible to take reports unless we sit an extra day and possibly the week after next we will start three day sittings.
The Leader of the House did not reply to the question about the re-establishment of the Joint Committee on Co-operation with Developing Countries.
I will discuss that matter with the Taoiseach.
Order of Business agreed to.