Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)

Before calling on the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kitt, I wish to make a brief comment. Although it does not arise today, in view of the relative lack of clarity in the procedural rules concerning a motion to move the writ for a by-election, I wish to make two points. First, I am allowing the motions to be moved on short notice, in accordance with precedent whereby the four day notice was not insisted upon by a number of my predecessors.

Second, where arrangements for taking a motion for the issue of a by-election writ are included as a proposal on the Order of Business that day, the motion should be taken after and not before or during the Order of Business. In taking the motion after the Order of Business, the Deputies' right to move the motion is not being denied but I feel the House should be afforded the opportunity to make its own arrangements for taking the motions as it sees fit before the motion can be taken. This means the proposal on the Order of Business would be taken first and would accord with our modern practice of organising business in the Dáil.

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