I would like to ask you a question. I did ask it before, and you answered it, but I do not know that it has been carried out. Who is responsible for assembling Sub-Committees? I think you answered me before that the Clerk of the Seanad was responsible. There have been several Committees in which I have been interested, and I have several times come to the Clerk or the Assistant Clerk, whoever happened to be there, and I have always been told that they could not do it on their own responsibility without the authority of An Cathaoirleach, and as he was not present and could not be got, the matter had to remain over. Some days ago I asked to have a Committee summoned that has just assembled this morning. As a matter of fact, nothing was done until during the sitting yesterday I spoke to you about it, and it was assembled at 2.30 to-day, half an hour before the Seanad met. As a matter of fact, it did not assemble until about 2.40, and of course there was not time to do anything. That is only a small matter, but this has constantly occurred, and I would like to know if there is anybody you could get to make responsible for calling these Committees together.
SUMMONING OF COMMITTEES.
AN CATHAOIRLEACH
I should think that primarily the responsibility would rest with the Chairman, but the actual summoning of the members would be a matter for one of our clerical staff. I might mention with regard to what the Senator says as to the Committee to-day, that I was satisfied from my knowledge of what was before the Committee that a quarter of an hour at the outside ought to give ample time to discuss and dispose of the one point, and the only one point that arose, and experience proved that I was correct in that, because they concluded the business within the time. I should remind the Seanad, however, that the Committee on Standing Orders are actually at present engaged in concluding the only remaining portion of the work that has to be done in regard to Standing Orders, and amongst these matters is the question of the assigning of particular duties to the various members of the staff, and we shall, of course, deal in our recommendations with this question, amongst others, of the summoning of Committees.
I only just want to make one remark. Of course, we got through the business because we were told that everybody had to leave to go to the Seanad; therefore, it had to be wound up whether we liked it or not, and, consequently, another motion which was coming on we were not able to take at all.