I wish to put the following question, My Lord Chairman and Gentlemen——
ATTENDANCE OF SEANAD MEMBERS IN DAIL.
AN CATHAOIRLEACH
It is not in order to address the Seanad in that way. Under our Standing Orders you must address the Chairman and him alone. You are not at liberty to address the Chairman and the gentlemen of the Seanad.
I beg the Seanad's pardon. I wish to ask the following question:— When a Senator introduces a Bill in the Seanad why should not that Senator and other members of the Seanad interested in the said Bill— that is to say, if the said Bill has passed the Seanad—attend a meeting of the Dáil when the Minister representing the Department that could deal with the said Bill makes his statement? The reason I have put that question is—that I feel in these days of reconstruction, so to speak, in our country, our Ministers have as much work as they can possibly do. In fact, they have a very difficult task to carry out under extremely trying and severe circumstances. That we all know. Therefore, I think it would be much easier for members of the Seanad interested in the Bill, and the promoter of the Bill, to attend the Dáil, where, at all events, the Minister as a rule is always in his place, and able to deal with the matter. What often happens, as I see by the records in our Debates, is that a question is asked of the President of the Dáil, and he very often has to refer it to the Minister of the Department who has to deal with that question. Let us suppose the Minister is over here trying to answer a question, or dealing with a Bill that has been introduced. That means delay and trouble, and a great deal of work for everybody, especially our Ministers, who are very hard worked, indeed. That is the reason I have put the question, simply to try and make the business that is being carried on by the Government easier for the Ministers. I hope I shall live to see the day that we can really deal with what I call domestic legislation. There will be a number of private Bills introduced in time when the reconstruction period, so to speak, is over, and when the morning comes, and the shadows flee away.
AN CATHAOIRLEACH
Under the Constitution the Ministers of the Dáil are given a right to be present at the debates in the Seanad. Members of the Seanad have no corresponding rights under the Constitution to be present in the Dáil or to take part in the proceedings there. But realising the benefit that has been derived already in the Seanad, in our deliberations, by the presence from time to time of the Minister responsible for a Bill, I think that all members of the Seanad will probably agree that it would be desirable if, by arrangement with the Dáil, we could arrive at some plan by which, in the case of a Bill initiated in this Seanad and afterwards taken up in the Dáil, or in the case of amendments inserted by the Seanad in a Bill that came from the Dáil, one or more of the Senators interested in the particular Bill, or responsible for the amendment introduced into a Bill that came from the Dáil, should have by courtesy the opportunity of attending in the Dáil and explaining the views of the Seanad. That we cannot claim as a right. It can only be as a matter of courtesy, and the Committee that you have already appointed to arrange matters involving inter-communication between the two Houses have not lost sight of this matter. It is one of the things that they have been pressing upon the attention of the Chairman of the Dáil, and it is a matter that we have yet got to see whether we can or cannot arrive at some amicable working arrangement. From what I have seen already of the responsible officers of the Dáil and of the Ministers concerned, I think they are exceedingly anxious to help and to facilitate our work in every way. I am of opinion that if this matter is left to the Committee who have it in charge, we may be able to arrive at some arrangement which will produce the result that is aimed at by this question.