I am moving the Adjournment of the House until 9 p.m.
Business of Seanad.
We had insufficient time to debate the bovine disease levy earlier. I do not think any of us realised that this legislation would wind up quite so soon. To be fair, I think we felt it would not take until 9 o'clock. Everyone deserves a sos, particularly the staff who have been with us all day and I would not say no to a cup of tea either. I wonder do we really need a sos of two hours and ten minutes particularly when we have to come back here at 11 o'clock and face into what looks like an hour and half, if not a two hour debate, with a vote at the end of it.
While we accept the Adjournment now, perhaps the Acting Leader would endeavour to see if he could give us a sos of an hour now because if we could debate the bovine disease levy from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock, we would only need another hour to wind up. The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy O'Kennedy, need not be here for the first hour. The Government side have three speakers and we have one. Perhaps we could use this time now rather than sit here until 1 a.m. tomorrow and then have a vote. I suggest we be practical about it.
Acting Chairman
I am attempting to be helpful to the Senator in relation to the procedures of the House. I need hardly remind her, I am sure, that the Order of Business is agreed beforehand with the Whips. It was agreed that the next business be taken at 9 o'clock. The fact that this Bill has completed all Stages prior to that time is not a matter for discussion at that stage. All I have asked is that the House agree to an adjournment on the proposal of the Acting Leader. It has been so agreed. If the Senator wishes to take up the suggestion she had made I would suggest that she take it up with her Whip.
I am speaking in the capacity of Deputy Whip of our party at the moment. I thought I was extremely reasonable notwithstanding the tone of response I got from you, Acting Chairman. I thought my request was extremely reasonable. If you want to sit here until 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock in the morning I will be happy to do it but let us use our time constructively. Perhaps the Acting Leader of the House would speak to Senator Wright about it?
I will respond to the Senator by indicating I will discuss the matter with the Whip and I will see what can be done on it.
Acting Chairman
Could I please have the proposal on when we are resuming and the time the House will adjourn?
I suggest we adjourn to a slightly earlier time but it may well be that we must adjourn then until 9 o'clock.
Acting Chairman
The Chair is only requesting that procedure be followed. I am only asking that a time be stipulated as to the time the House will adjourn.
Obviously I would prefer to discuss the matter with the Chief Whip before I make any suggestions relative to resuming business. I would imagine 8.30 p.m. would be a much more appropriate time and I will recommend that to the Whip.
Acting Chairman
Can I suggest to the Acting Leader that the House adjourn for ten minutes?
Yes, and we can discuss it. I am only trying to be practical about this.
Acting Chairman
I appreciate the Senator's remarks.
Sitting suspended at 6.50 p.m. and resumed at 7 p.m.
I am surprised we are back here again. We agreed earlier today that we would resume the debate on Item No. 2 at the conclusion of Motion 32. That is my understanding.
Yes, the Government Whip did make that point or it was made on his behalf to this House some time ago. We had discussions earlier about the possibility of resuming Item No. 2 and I and my colleagues requested we would resume it if there was time before 9 o'clock. It was pointed out to us quite reasonably that everyone, including the staff, needed a sos because they had been here right through. At the time I do not think any of us imagined we would have two hours and ten minutes on hand to have a sos. Given the fact that there are four more speakers offering and that we apparently want to finish Item No. 2 today, I was suggesting that we make practical use of half that time, that we have an hour's sos now and then use from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock constructively. The alternative is to sit from 11 o'clock until 12.45 a.m. and really when we have two hours now I would rather use it than go on talking from 11 o'clock until 1 a.m. in the morning.
May I just point out that the Minister is paired tonight and is coming back from a function to wind up the debate. That is arranged for 11 p.m. and whatever time we finish. I accept what the Senator is saying.
I accept the point about the Minister and there is no way we would discommode the Minister having agreed he would not be asked to wind up before 11 o'clock. I feel there is at least one hour's talking before the Minister, Deputy O'Kennedy, needs to come in. Surely there is one Minister of State in the House not interested in soccer and he or she could be produced from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and we would at least get half or some of the speeches out of the way to conclude at 11 p.m. or after when the Minister is available.
Acting Chairman
I can only inform the House that the Order of Business was agreed today and it was agreed that the debate on the North-South rail link would be taken at 9 p.m. Appreciating everything that Senator Doyle has said, I can only inform the House that the agreement arrived at on the Order of Business today must stand and I accept the proposal of the Acting Leader of the House, if there is no dissent, that the House stands adjourned until 9 p.m.
The Order of Business has already been amended once; there is no rule that it cannot be amended twice.
Acting Chairman
There was no concluding time. I can only inform the House of what was agreed on the Order of Business that the North-South rail link debate would start at 9 p.m.
There is no debate about that. We agreed. That is not at issue.
I understand that the Leader of the House has problems, but could I just make a plea for some sort of commonsense flexibility on this? I do not think we should take any particularly rigid party lines on this.
It is about the accommodation of other people. Officials have gone home and are coming back for 11 o'clock, Senator.
That is right. But if we have two hours to spare when we are sitting until God knows what hour next week for some reason and the week after, it is just a silly in the middle of the day to have a two hour sos and keep everybody up until 1 o'clock in the morning. We seem to have a problem with organisation here that really should not arise. It is not fair to many people involved that this should happen.
Acting Chairman
Thank you, Senator. Again, may I inform the House that the Chair does not order the Business of the House. It can only respond to the proposal and agreement between all sides of the House. The proposal has been put and the Chair has asked if it is agreed. It is agreed and the House stands adjourned until 9 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 7.5 p.m. and resumed at 9 p.m.