Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)

Before Question Time, we were dealing with the Social Welfare and Pensions (No.2) Bill and the Order for Second Stage. A number of queries were raised and I wish to clarify the position to the House.

Further to the points made by Deputy Stagg earlier as regards the need to make an Order for Second Stage on the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill, the situation is as follows: the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill appeared correctly on the Order Paper today as "Order for Second Stage" as that was the position when we entered business this morning. The purpose of the Order for Second Stage is to fix the day on which the Bill is to be taken. If there had been no proposal on the Order Paper this morning, an Order would have been necessary before the Bill was considered. The position, however, was changed by proposal No. 4 on the Order of Business that provided that the proceedings on Second Stage shall be taken today. Therefore, the Dáil had made the Order - it had fixed today as the date for the Second Stage to be taken.

Deputy Shortall has cited a number of precedents which I have examined. In all the cases mentioned no guillotined question was agreed to by the House, as was the position today. The procedure followed, therefore, was the correct one and I ask the Minister to continue her Second Stage reading.

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