The Bill as amended is reported to the Dáil. When will the next stage be taken?

I suggest Tuesday, 17th July.

We have been endeavouring to get this Bill printed as amended. The printers have already had in hand the matter concluded on Friday evening. I think it would be impossible to have the Bill as amended in Committee in the hands of Deputies until Thursday evening, or possibly Friday morning. It has to be read very carefully, as the Bill has been considerably amended.

When would the amendments have to be in?

That is the position we were in at the opening of the proceedings to-day. If I accept amendments on Monday for the convenience of Deputies, I cannot guarantee that they will have them in their hands until Wednesday, the day on which the Bill is to be considered. The thing cuts both ways. If I accept amendments for the convenience, say, of Deputy Rooney, on Monday, on Wednesday we may not have all the other amendments put in by other Deputies. We may be in the position on Wednesday which we were in to-day in regard to the other Bill.

There is no use in giving a long day for the next stage of the Bill, if Deputies insist on their right to wait until the last minute before handing in their amendments.

Surely every Deputy knows practically every amendment he wants to put in. We have gone through the Committee Stage, the Bill has been discussed, and I take it that only essential amendments will be put in.

If Deputies require to wait for copies of the amended Bill before putting in new amendments, we shall be in a difficulty. If they put them in before they get a copy of the Bill, we might take the next stage on Wednesday week. If the order is made we will carry it out, but Deputies must be clear about their amendments.

If amendments are in by Saturday, I suppose it will be all right?

Yes.

The Minister has read out amendments to-day which are not in the hands of Deputies.

We can circulate them.

I will undertake to have my amendments in by Friday, with the possible exception of one or two that will have to go in by Saturday.

The necessary alterations for the amendments will make heavy charges on the staff.

My staff are getting incured to what you might call heavy charges.

I would like to ask the Minister for Agriculture if he is going to put in the Bill costs from the date?

I propose to put in as an amendment the amendment I offered when discussing this question last week.

Is Section 16 to be recommitted?

Of course it must be recommitted if I put in an amendment.

Would it be possible to circulate the Minister's amendments in typewritten form?

If we get the Minister's amendments on Friday we will circulate them as they are received.

I take it, it is perfectly clear that no amendments bearing any similarity to those which have already been disposed of can be handed in?

The Minister for Agriculture can place perfect faith in me.

I am extremely glad to hear that.

I did not quite catch the Minister's remarks in regard to Section 16.

That Section is being recommitted.

Will it be possible for us to put in amendments to that?

Not exactly the same amendments.

Perhaps I had better explain this matter. If an amendment is defeated in Committee, that amendment cannot be again put on the Paper for another stage or a further Committee Stage, nor can any amendment which is substantially the same. That is only in accordance with commonsense, I think. When an amendment has been defeated in Committee, the same amendment cannot be tabled for another stage of the Bill, nor can an amendment which is substantially the same as the amendment defeated in Committee be put down for another stage of the Bill or a further Committee Stage. In other words, we can only discuss a particular thing once by way of amendment.

Am I to understand that the 40 per cent. that we put forward in connection with claims for arrears cannot be discussed again, even in a modified form, such as, for instance, 35 per cent.?

Of course that would be reducing the thing to a farce.

If the Deputy will first put up the amendments, I will rule on them.

I would like some assurance beforehand. The matter was dealt with the last day without very much discussion, and it will not be so the next time.

On the question of the costs dating, as was suggested, from the last day, what would be the procedure suppose we were to suggest the date as from the introduction of the Bill?

If the amendment would have the same effect as an amendment already defeated, it would not be in order.

The fact is that the Deputies want to have it both ways. Having accepted my amendment in Committee, they want to go back on it on Report.

Deputy Gorey and other Deputies moved amendments and supported them for a considerable time. The Minister for Agriculture read out certain amendments the exact particulars of which we have not yet got. I am anxious that as soon as possible the amendments which the Minister suggested, and which in some cases were acceptable to the Dáil, should be circulated.

An undertaking to that effect has been given already.

Am I to understand that this recommittal stage will be taken on the same date as the Report, or what is the procedure?

The procedure is simply that amendments will be received and put down, and I understand from the Minister that he intends to move that all the sections which it is proposed to amend be recommitted. That will mean a discussion in Committee on such of the sections as it is proposed to amend. Instead of taking the matter on report in the Dáil, we go into Committee on Wednesday, the 18th.

Is it necessary that we should take any resolution to recommit now, or wait until then?

We cannot take the resolution to recommit until we see the amendments.