Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

That is fine. Deputy Boyd Barrett has made his point. I ask him to resume his seat. For the general information of the House, I have ruled that the motion submitted by Deputy Bríd Smith for Wednesday's Private Members' Business is not in order. This ruling is on the basis that the motion would allow certain Private Members' Bills that would constitutionally require a recommendation from Government to be passed by Dáil Éireann without such a recommendation. There is a fundamental difficulty in seeking to put in place rules of the House, in the form of Standing Orders, that could allow Bills to progress through the House in an unconstitutional manner.

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My decision is fully in accordance with long-established rulings and parliamentary practice on the authority of the Chair to apply, interpret and rule on Standing Orders and matters of order generally. In doing so, I am advised by the Clerk of the Dáil, who has long experience in these matters, and he, in turn, is advised by the parliamentary legal advisers.

I am satisfied that the advice that I have been given in ruling the motion out of order is valid and sustainable advice to which I must have regard. I understand it causes great difficulty for the Deputies. I appreciate that, but the Deputies are also aware that the Dáil reform committee has negotiated a memorandum of understanding with the Government in respect of how money messages would be dealt with and that we are further examining how Standing Order 179 may be dealt with in a report that we are due to receive in the next number of days.

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