Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 97(1)(a), the Committee on Procedure and Privileges recommends that the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business are hereby amended by:

(i) the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (2) of Standing Order 125:

'(2) The Dáil may, following debate of not less than 60 minutes as the House may order on motion made by the member in charge of a Bill, give an instruction to a Committee to which a Bill has been committed empowering it to make amendments, the nature of which shall be specified, provided that the amendments be relevant to the general subject matter and not in conflict with the principle of the Bill.'.

(ii) the adoption of the following Standing Order in substitution for Standing Order 170:

'170. (1) Any Standing Order or Orders of the Dáil may be suspended or modified, and for a particular purpose, upon motion made after notice: Provided that in cases of urgent necessity, of which the Ceann Comhairle shall be the judge, any Standing Order or Orders may be suspended upon motion made without notice. If such motion be opposed the Ceann Comhairle shall permit an explanatory statement from the member who moves it and a statement from a member who opposes it before he or she puts the question thereon.

(2) Where the particular purpose for which any Standing Order or Orders may be suspended or modified includes giving an instruction to a Committee to make amendments which are not otherwise in accordance with Standing Order 125 a debate of not less than 60 minutes as the House may order shall take place on the principle of the amendments concerned: save that the Ceann Comhairle may determine that the said amendments warrant the initiation of a separate Bill.

(3) A motion to suspend or modify Standing Orders may only be moved by a private member during the time fixed for taking private members' business.'.

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