Committee Reports > List of Committees > Seanad > 1923 > Standing Committee on Standing Orders > Report No. 01 - Standing Orders

1. The Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach shall be elected by the Seanad. Should more than one candidate be proposed for either office, the appointment shall be filled by a majority vote of the members of the Seanad present, and voting.

2. The Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach shall be appointed at the first meeting of the Seanad to be held after each triennial election of members of the Seanad, unless the Seanad shall by Resolution otherwise determine.

The retiring Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach shall be eligible for re-election.

In the event of an interim vacancy in either office, the successor shall hold office only until the next triennial election as herein provided; provided that the term of office of the present Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach shall be one year, and that their successors shall hold office until the next ensuing triennial appointment, as provided in these Standing Orders. The Seanad shall have power at any time by Resolution, of which seven days’ notice must be given, to remove either the Cathaoirleach or the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

3. In the absence of the Cathaoirleach his duties shall be undertaken by the Leas-Chathaoirleach, and he may at any time, on the request of the Cathaoirleach, preside at meetings of the Seanad or of the Seanad sitting in Committee.

A panel of not less than two Senators shall be appointed each Session, who may, on the request of the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, or the Seanad, act as Cathaoirleach during the absence of the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach.

The Leas-Chathaoirleach or Senator acting as Cathaoirleach shall exercise and enjoy for the time being, all the powers of the Cathaoirleach.

4. All proceedings of the Seanad shall be conducted through the medium of the Irish or the English language.

5. All orders and official documents shall be issued in the Irish and English languages.

6. For the transaction of any business in the Seanad a quorum of twelve Senators shall be necessary.

7. If, after an interval of thirty minutes from the time of meeting of the Seanad, the number of Senators present, including the Cathaoirleach, is less than twelve or if, at any stage during the sitting, any Senator calls the attention of the Cathaoirleach to the fact that there are less than twelve Senators present, inclusive of the Cathaoirleach, the Cathaoirleach, should he be satisfied on a count that there is not a quorum, shall adjourn the Seanad until a later hour, to be named by him, or until the next ordinary sitting.

8. The Seanad shall meet when in session on every Wednesday, and shall continue from day to day until business is disposed of, except that (unless otherwise decided by the Seanad) meetings shall not be held on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays; provided that, should no business be notified by eleven o’clock in the forenoon on the Monday previous to the day when the Seanad is due to meet, or should the business so notified be, in the opinion of the Cathaoirleach, neither of such urgency or importance as to justify the holding of a meeting, the Cathaoirleach may notify Senators that no meeting will be held; and provided also that the Cathaoirleach may summon a special meeting of the Seanad on urgent business at any time. All meetings of the Seanad shall commence punctually at 3 p.m.

9. Every sitting of the Seanad shall be governed by printed Orders of the Day, which shall be prepared by the Cathaoirleach in consultation with the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The business shall be dealt with in order as printed, except when consideration of the Orders of the Day shall be suspended in accordance with the provisions furnished elsewhere in these Standing Orders.

10. Every motion to be put on the Orders of the Day shall be in writing, signed by a Senator, and shall reach the Clerk not later than eleven o’clock in the forenoon. Motions received after that hour shall be treated and dealt with by the Clerk as if received by him on the next ensuing day (not being a Sunday or a Bank Holiday). Every motion shall be placed on the Orders of the Day for the first day on which the Seanad meets after the expiration of two clear days from the date on which such motion is received (or deemed to have been received as aforesaid) by the Clerk. Such motions, if in order, shall forthwith be published to the Seanad.

Any amendments to such motions shall reach the Clerk in writing, signed by the Senator who proposes to move the same, and shall, in so far as is possible, be handed in in sufficient time to allow of their being circulated throughout the Seanad: provided that by permission of the Cathaoirleach, and by leave of the House, urgent motions may be discussed on shorter notice.

11. A Senator at the request of the Senator who has given notice of any motion may move it on his behalf.

12. If the Senator or some other Senator requested by him fails to rise and move the motion of which notice has been given, it shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

13. The Orders of the Day for each day shall be delivered at the Dublin address of each Senator, so as to arrive not later than the morning of that day. They shall contain the text of all motions to be proposed, save such as these Standing Orders elsewhere allow to be proposed without notice.

14. The Cathaoirleach may, at the request of a Senator, suspend consideration of the Orders of the Day for the discussion, at such hour as may be determined, of a matter which the Cathaoirleach considers urgent and of sufficient public importance provided that the request has the support of not less than ten Senators, indicated by their rising in their places.

15. The Cathaoirleach shall examine every notice of motion to ensure that it shall be as brief as possible, and that it shall contain no preface or argument, or any personal imputation upon any member of the Oireachtas.

The Cathaoirleach may amend any such motion and may consult with the Senator responsible therefor, with a view to securing its compliance with the Standing Orders. Should the Senator object to such amendment he may withdraw the motion.

16. Should the Cathaoirleach or presiding Senator desire to address the Seanad, except for the purpose of controlling the proceedings of the Seanad or ruling on points of order, he shall vacate the chair, and the Leas-Chathaoirleach or other Senator, as provided in Standing Order No. 3; shall preside in the interval.

17. A Senator desiring to speak shall rise in his place. If more than one Senator shall rise at the same time the Cathaoirleach shall call upon one of them. Senators shall address the Cathaoirleach.

18. When the Cathaoirleach addresses the Seanad from the Chair any Senator who may be in possession shall resume his seat.

19. No Senator shall read his speech.

20. No Senator is entitled to speak twice upon the same motion or amendment, except to close a debate upon the original motion of which he was the proposer, even though the same be amended, or except in explanation of a material part of his speech, in which he may have been misconceived, and in the latter case he is not to introduce new matter. But a Senator is not precluded from speaking on an amendment by reason of his having spoken upon the original motion or upon any other amendment.

21. A motion shall not be debated until it has been seconded, but a seconder may reserve his speech till a later stage of the debate.

22. Every amendment must be relevant to the motion on which it is proposed, and must be directed to omitting, adding, or substituting words. No amendment shall be accepted by the Cathaoirleach which is equivalent to a direct negative: provided that nothing in these Orders shall prejudice the right of any Senator to move that further consideration of the motion be postponed sine die or for a definite period. or that the Seanad proceed to the next business.

23. When a motion or amendment has been put by the Cathaoirleach no further debate thereon shall be allowed before voting.

24. A motion to rescind or to amend a Resolution can only be made on notice that shall specify the Resolution to be rescinded or amended, and furnish the terms of the motion to be made; but no motion shall be allowed to appear on the Orders of the Day to rescind any Resolution of the Seanad within six months of the date of its adoption, except with the written assent of not less than twenty members of the Seanad.

25. No Senator shall discuss a matter raised in any previous debate during the same Session upon a motion or Bill not being then under discussion, except by the indulgence of the Seanad for personal explanations.

26. A Senator who persists in irrelevance or repetition in debate, or who, in the opinion of the Cathaoirleach, is speaking for the purpose of obstructing the business of the Seanad, may be directed by the Cathaoirleach to discontinue his speech, after the attention of the Seanad has been called to his conduct.

27. A Senator who persists in obstructing the business of the Seanad in a disorderly manner may be required by the Cathaoirleach to withdraw from the Seanad for the remainder of the sitting. If the disorder be of an aggravated character the period of suspension shall be such as the Seanad shall on motion determine.

28. Senators so withdrawn or suspended from attendance in the Seanad shall take no part in any meeting of the Seanad for the period of suspension determined by the Seanad; but they may continue to act on any Special Committees of the Seanad of which they may be members.

29. The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order in the Seanad, and has authority to suppress disorder, and to enforce prompt obedience to his ruling.

30. After a motion has been proposed and seconded, and has been further discussed for not less than one hour, any Senator may move, “that the motion be now put,” or “that the amendment be now put,” and the motion, “that the motion be now put,” or “that the amendment be now put” shall be put forthwith and decided without amendment or debate, unless it appears to the Cathaoirleach that the motion is an infringement of the rights of a minority, or an abuse of these Standing Orders.

31. When the motion “That the question be now put,” has been carried, and the question consequent thereon has been decided, any further motion may at once be made which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed from the Chair; and also, if a section of a Bill be then under consideration, a motion may be made, “That the question ‘That certain words of the section defined in the motion stand part of the section,”’ or “‘That the section stand part of or be added to the Bill’ be now put.” Such motions shall be put forthwith and decided without amendment or debate.

32. When a Bill is being considered in Committee of the whole Seanad, or is to be so considered, the Seanad may, by Resolution, specify the time which shall be given to the consideration of any section or group of sections. When the the time so allotted shall have expired, if such section or group of sections has not already been voted on, the Cathaoirleach shall, without further motion or discussion, put to the Seanad the amendment under discussion and any other amendment, which the Seanad, on a show of hands, without discussion, decides shall be so put. When all amendments have been so disposed of, the Cathaoirleach shall put the section or sections concerned to the Seanad.

33. When any question is to be put to the Seanad, the Cathaoirleach shall announce that “the question is that,” thereupon reading or stating the question, requiring that as many as are of that opinion shall say “Tá” and as many as are of the contrary opinion shall say “Níl,” or he may call for a show of hands. He shall then judge and declare which side is in the majority, and if his decision be challenged, he shall order the Seanad to divide. The Clerk of the Seanad shall thereupon, after an interval of two minutes, call the roll of Senators, who shall reply “Tá” or “Níl,” as the case may be. The Clerk shall then hand a Division Paper stating the result to the Cathaoirleach, who shall announce the numbers to the Seanad, and declare the result of the Division. In giving their votes, Senators shall attend in their places, and rise when recording their votes.

34. All disputed matters in the Seanad shall, save as in these Standing Orders is otherwise provided, be determined by a majority of the votes of the Senators present, other than the Cathaoirleach, or presiding Senator, who shall have and exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.

35. The rules governing debate in the Seanad sitting in Committee, and in Committees of the Seanad, shall, save as is provided elsewhere in these Standing Orders, be those governing the proceedings of the Seanad. In cases of grave disorder or obstruction in Committees a member may be suspended, but this may be done only by the Seanad, to whom report shall be made.

36. In Committee of the whole Seanad a Senator shall not speak for longer than ten minutes, or more than twice on any one matter; provided that this Order shall not apply in Committee to a Senator in charge of a Bill. When more than one Senator rises to speak, the Cathaoirleach shall give preference to a Senator who has not previously spoken on the same matter.

37. A motion or amendment made in Committee need not be seconded.

38. In addition to the Committees consisting of the whole of the Seanad, the Seanad may appoint Special Committees by motion appearing on the Orders of the Day. Such motion shall, save as is otherwise provided in these Standing Orders, specifically state the terms of reference to such Committees, define the powers devolved upon them, state the number of members to act upon them, and the quorum in each case, and may also fix a date upon which they shall report back to the Seanad.

39. Bills not considered by the Seanad sitting in Committee may be referred to Select Committees, appointed from time to time for that purpose, and the provisions of the preceding Order shall not apply to a motion by way of amendment or otherwise that a Bill be considered by a Select Committee.

40. The Seanad may discharge any members of Committees in case of non-attendance and appoint other members in substitution for them.

41. The Clerk shall cause to be posted up in the Lobby and in the Reading Room a list of the several Standing, Special, and Select Committees appointed during the Session.

42. At the commencement of each Session a Committee of Selection, consisting of eight Senators, elected by the Seanad voting in accordance with the principles of Proportional Representation, shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to select the Senators to serve on all Committees other than a Committee of the Seanad, in the absence of express directions as to the personnel thereof from the Seanad itself. The Leas-Chathaoirleach shall be ex-officio Chairman of this Committee, but shall not exercise any but a casting vote.

43. Every Committee of the Seanad shall at its first meeting choose its Chairman, who shall have a casting vote only. The Mover of the Committee, if a member thereof, shall fix the time for the first meeting of the Committee: if the Mover be not a member, the Clerk shall fix the time. Should no date be fixed by a Committee for the continuation of an adjourned meeting, the Chairman shall appoint a date.

44. If, after the lapse of a quarter of an hour from the time appointed for the meeting of a Committee, there shall not be a quorum, the Committee shall stand adjourned, and the Clerk attending the Committee, after entering on the minutes the names of the Senators who attended, shall convene a meeting for a subsequent day.

45. An entry shall be made in the minutes of the names of the Senators attending each Committee meeting, and of every motion or amendment proposed in the Committee, together with the name of the Mover thereof; and if any Division takes place in the Committee, the Clerk shall take down the names of the Senators voting in any such Division, distinguishing on which side of the question they respectively vote.

46. It shall be the duty of the Chairman of every Committee to prepare a Report, which shall be signed by him and presented to the Seanad. The Committee shall decide in each case whether they require to be convened for the consideration of the Report in Draft, or whether the preparation thereof may be left solely to the Chairman.

47. Where the Orders of the Day notify the receipt of the Report of a Committee, other than that of a Select Committee to which a Bill has been referred, any Senator may move its adoption; and if any other proceeding consequent thereon be necessary, such proceeding shall be brought under the consideration of the Seanad by a specific motion, of which notice must be given in the usual manner.

48. Messages from the Seanad to the Dáil shall be in writing, signed by the Clerk or Assistant Clerk, and shall be conveyed from the Seanad to the Dáil by one of the Clerks.

49. If an official messenger bearing a message from the Dáil is in attendance while the Seanad is sitting, the Cathaoirleach shall permit the messenger to enter and present his message to the Clerk at the table. The messenger shall thereupon withdraw. When the Seanad is not sitting messages from the Dáil shall be received by the Clerk.

50. The Cathaoirleach shall at the first convenient opportunity during the sitting in which it is received communicate the message to the Seanad; provided that in case of special urgency any business in progress on the receipt of such message may be interrupted to hear the same.

51. If a message from the Dáil requires any action to be taken by the Seanad, it shall be set down on the Orders of the Day for the next sitting, and shall be considered accordingly; provided that in case of special urgency the Seanad may consider such message at an earlier period.

52. The time of Joint Sittings of both Houses shall be arranged by the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle in consultation.

53. The Cathaoirleach shall summon the Senators to attend such Joint Sittings.

54. The place of Meeting of every such Joint Sitting shall be the Chamber of the Dáil.

55. The Chairman of a Joint Sitting of both Houses shall be the Ceann Comhairle, and in his absence the Cathaoirleach: in the absence of both, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, and in the absence of all three the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The proceedings of every such Joint Sitting shall be governed by the Standing Orders of the Dáil, in so far as they may be applicable to such Joint Sitting, and every question of the applicability of any Standing Order, or the adaptation thereof, necessary or expedient for its application, shall be determined and ruled upon by the Chairman.

56. When it is desired to obtain the concurrence of the Dáil in setting up a Joint Committee of the two Houses, a Senator shall move: “That in the opinion of the Seanad it is expedient that a Joint Committee of both Houses be appointed to . . . . . . and that a message be sent to the Dáil to inform that House of this Resolution.” When a Resolution asking for a Joint Committee is moved, the number of Senators the Seanad will appoint shall be stated, but the names of Senators to serve on it shall not be proposed until a message is received from the Dáil agreeing to the Joint Committee. The Seanad shall fix the quorum of its members who shall be present to constitute a sitting of a Joint Committee. Subject to this a Joint Committee shall fix its own quorum.

57. The Captain of the Guard or his principal Lieutenant shall attend in the Seanad during the Sittings of the House, and while attending there, such officer shall be subject to the control of the Cathaoirleach. He shall admit none but authorised visitors within the precincts of the House, and he shall preserve order and decorum amongst them while present. He shall take into custody persons irregularly admitted into the Seanad, and persons guilty of disorderly conduct, and shall cause the removal of persons who have been directed to withdraw; and he shall be responsible to the Cathaoirleach for the internal safety of the buildings of the Seanad, and for this purpose shall supervise the lighting and other apparatus, and shall take all such other pre cautions as he may be directed to take, or as he may consider to be necessary.

58. Visitors may be introduced by Senators with the consent of the Cathaoirleach, and upon such conditions as he may prescribe, and authorised representatives of the Press may be present at Sittings of the Seanad.

59. In case of special emergency any Senator may move that all visitors and Press representatives be excluded from the Seanad, and this shall be done by direction of the Cathaoirleach, with the assent of two-thirds of the Senators present.

60. A report of all Proceedings and Debates of the Seanad shall be issued under the supervision of the Cathaoirleach.

61. A copy of the Proceedings and Debates of the Seanad, as well as every other paper, document and publication of the Seanad, shall be sent to every Senator.

62. Arrangements shall be made by which the reports of the Proceedings and Debates of each day shall be available for the second ensuing day.

63. All proceedings shall be noted by the Clerk, and shall constitute the Journals of the Seanad, and shall be signed by the Cathaoirleach. Copies of the Journal shall be printed and distributed to all Senators.

64. The custody of the Journals, Records, and all Documents whatsoever laid before the Seanad, shall be in the Clerk, who shall neither take, nor permit to be taken, any such Journals, Records or Documents, from the Chamber or Offices without the express leave of the Seanad.

65. A record shall be kept in the Journals each day of Senators who attend the Sitting.

66. Any question for decision by the Seanad shall be brought before it by the introduction of a Resolution or the introduction of a Bill.

67. The matters that may be dealt with by Resolution shall include Standing Orders, adjournments, suspension of Senators, appointment of Committees, appointment or removal of the Cathaoirleach or other officers, questions of procedure generally, expressions of censure, thanks and opinion, and any other matters which, by law, the Seanad may decide by Resolutions.

68. The matters which shall be dealt with by Bills shall include all legislation.

69. Questions in relation to a Government Bill may be put to the Minister in charge of the Bill if present in the Seanad, or in the case of other Bills to the Senator introducing the same.

70. When a Bill is to be originated in the Seanad, a copy thereof, authorised by the signatures of not less than three or more than six Senators as proposers, shall be handed to the Clerk, and its title, and a short description of its purpose, prepared by the proposers and accepted by the Cathaoirleach, shall appear on the Orders of the Day. The Senator whose name shall appear as first signatory on the said copy shall be deemed to be the Senator giving notice of the Bill, and shall move for leave to introduce the Bill. This motion shall be decided without amendment or debate. If leave to introduce the Bill is granted, such Bill shall be printed and sent to all Senators.

Provided always that in the case of a Bill which has been sent forward to the Seanad after it has been passed by the Dáil the First Reading Stage shall be dispensed with. Upon its receipt by the Seanad a printed copy shall be sent to all Senators, and the Bill shall thereupon be placed on the Orders of the Day by the Cathaoirleach at an early date for the Second Reading Stage, and he shall also give all practicable facilities for the completion of its subsequent stages, and he shall in the case of a Government Bill give it precedence in its subsequent stages unless the Seanad shall otherwise determine.

71. When a Bill shall have passed its First Stage and have been circulated, notice of motion shall be given for its Second Reading, the debate on which shall be confined to the general principle of the Bill.

72. A Bill which has passed its Second Reading shall be referred to a Committee for detailed consideration, or shall be so considered by the Seanad sitting in Committee. In the Committee Stage a Bill must be voted on section by section and not as a whole. Any section may be amended or deleted in Committee and new sections may be inserted.

73. When a Bill shall have passed its Second Reading it shall be referred to the Seanad sitting in Committee, in the absence of any motion that it shall be referred to a Select Committee. Any such motion may be moved without notice, and shall be decided without debate.

74. When a Bill is to be considered by the Seanad sitting in Committee, or by a Select Committee, proposed amendments (or, in the case of a Money Bill, recommendations) shall be notified not later than eleven o’clock in the forenoon on the day before the Bill is to be considered. Such amendments shall be arranged by the Cathaoirleach, or the Chairman of the Select Committee, in proper order, and shall appear on the Orders of the Day or the Agenda of the Select Committee, on those days on which the Seanad in Committee, or the Select Committee as the case may be, is to consider the sections to which the amendments refer; provided nevertheless that the Cathaoirleach, or the Chairman of the Select Committee, may, in his discretion, permit any amendment to be moved without notice.

75. The Seanad shall go into Committee without question put whenever it reaches business on the Orders of the Day which requires to be considered in Committee. When the Seanad is in Committee business need not be stopped if less than a quorum is present, save when a vote is to be taken.

76. When a Bill is being considered in Committee, the sections shall be taken in their order, and no motion for the purpose shall be necessary. When any section is taken a Senator may move an amendment to the section, or he may move that a new section be inserted before it in the Bill. This latter motion shall be taken first and, if passed, the new section proposed shall then be taken.

77. A Committee, in considering a Bill, may at any time adjourn, but motions to adjourn deemed by the Cathaoirleach to be obstructive shall not be accepted. The Seanad sitting in Committee may adjourn consideration of a Bill and take up other business on the Orders of the Day; but dilatory or obstructive motions to adjourn shall not be accepted. The consideration of the preamble of a Bill in Committee may be deferred until the sections have been considered.

78. When the last section and the preamble (if any) of a Bill shall have been considered in Committee, the Bill shall be returned to the Seanad.

79. When a Bill has been returned from a Select Committee, or from the Seanad sitting in Committee, notice shall be given of a motion “That the Bill be considered on Report.” In the Fourth Stage debate amendments may be moved, including amendments by the proposers of the Bill. If the Seanad desires, it may refer the Bill back to the Committee, or to the Seanad sitting in Committee, with an instruction that specified sections be reconsidered.

80. After the Seanad has received a Bill from Committee, and such Bill has passed the Fourth Stage debate, it shall be put forward for final consideration.

81. When a Bill shall come forward for final consideration it shall be moved “that the Bill do now pass,” and no amendments of the Bill shall be permitted, save such as are of a purely verbal character, of which due notice shall have been given.

82. In the case of a Government Bill the motion for its Second Reading, for its reference to a Committee, for the consideration in Committee of the preamble and sections of the Bill, for considering the Bill on Report or for the passing of the Bill, shall not require to be proposed or seconded, but shall be put from the Chair.

83. When a Bill certified by the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil to be a Money Bill is sent to the Seanad for its recommendation, the Clerk shall cause the said Money Bill to be placed on the Orders of the Day for the next ensuing meeting of the Seanad; but should no meeting of the Seanad have been arranged to be held within seven days of the receipt of the Money Bill the Cathaoirleach shall forthwith summon a meeting to be held on the first reasonable opportunity.

84. Senators may, at any time after a Bill has been introduced into the Dáil, notify the Cathaoirleach in writing that in their opinion the Bill is not a Money Bill. Should the Bill be received by the Seanad certified by the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil as a Money Bill the Cathaoirleach shall, should he have received notices in writing from two-fifths of the Senators, notify the Ceann Comhairle that a Committee of Privileges is demanded under Article 35 of the Constitution.

The Cathaoirleach shall thereupon cause a motion to be placed on the Orders of the Day, for the first convenient day, to elect three Senators to serve on the Committee of Privileges.

85. Should a Senator wish to suspend a Bill initiated in the Dáil he may, upon the motion for the Second Stage of the Bill, or upon the motion for the Fifth Stage, move “That the Bill do come up for consideration in … time,” setting out any space of time not exceeding two hundred and fifty days from the date on which the Bill was first sent to the Seanad.

Should a Bill be suspended in this way it may be revived for consideration before the expiration of the time of suspension on a motion of which seven clear days has been given, with the consent of two-thirds of the Senators present and voting.

86. When a Bill has been sent up from the Dáil and has passed the Seanad without amendment, the Clerk, or, in his absence, the Assistant Clerk, shall send a copy thereof, certified by him as having passed the Seanad, to the President of the Executive Council.

87. When a Bill initiated in the Seanad has passed all its Stages in the Seanad, the Clerk shall send a copy thereof, certified by him as having passed the Seanad, to the Clerk of the Dáil.

88. When a Bill has been sent to the Seanad from the Dáil and has been rejected by the Seanad, the Clerk shall send a Certificate to the Clerk of the Dáil stating that the Bill has been rejected by the Seanad.

89. When the Seanad passes an amendment or amendments to a Bill which has been sent up from the Dáil, the Clerk shall, when the Bill has passed its Final Stage, send a copy of the Bill to the Clerk of the Dáil, together with a Certificate specifying what amendments have been made.

90. When amendments made by the Dáil to a Bill which has been initiated in and passed by the Seanad are not concurred in by the Seanad, the Clerk shall return the Bill to the Dáil with a certificate specifying what amendments have not been concurred in by the Seanad.

91. When a Bill has been amended in the Seanad and the Dáil has refused to concur in all or any of the amendments made by the Seanad, the Bill shall come up for reconsideration by the Seanad. If the Seanad insists upon all or any of the amendments not concurred in by the Dáil, the Clerk shall return the Bill to the Dáil with a Certificate specifying the amendment or amendments on which the Seanad has decided to insist.

92. The following motions may be made without notice:—

(a) A motion to suspend consideration of the Orders of the Day in accordance with Standing Order 14.

(b) A motion to suspend a member from the service of the Seanad or from a Committee.

(c) A motion fixing the number and quorum and appointing the Cathaoirleach of a Select Committee to consider a Bill which has passed its Second Reading.

(d) A motion that a Senator shall preside, in the absence of the Cathaoirleach, Leas-Cathaoirleach and Senators appointed as a panel under Order No. 3 supra. Such a motion shall not be debated.

(e) A motion by permission of the Cathaoirleach that the Seanad adjourn for a period not exceeding two hours.

93. In the case of any Bill which has passed through all its Stages in the Seanad, but which by reason of amendments being inserted by the Dáil is returned to the Seanad for further consideration, such consideration shall be confined to the amendments only.

94. A motion proposed but not voted on at any sitting shall be taken up and decided on at the next sitting of the Seanad.

95. Business on the Orders of the Day which has not been reached, may, without notice, be taken up next day, and dealt with or further postponed; but if not taken up next day shall again be put on the Orders of the Day.

96. Resignation of a Senator from the Seanad shall be made in writing to the Cathaoirleach.

97. Upon the occasion of a casual vacancy through the death or resignation of a Senator, the Cathaoirleach shall upon the first opportunity give notice of the same, and the Seanad shall thereupon fix a date at an interval of not less than one fortnight for the holding of an election to fill the vacancy.

98. Within seven days from the date of the fixing of the election any Senator may by notice in writing, signed by him and delivered to the Clerk, nominate a candidate. Every such notice must contain the full name, address, and qualifications of the candidate, and be accompanied by a consent, in writing, over his signature, to act if elected.

99. Upon the appointed day, the Seanad shall, if the candidates number five or more, proceed in the first instance to vote by ballot for one or more, but not exceeding three. A vote by ballot shall then be taken to select two out of the three candidates who shall have obtained the highest number of votes upon the previous ballot, each member voting for not more than two out of the three names.

100. A further vote by ballot shall then be taken as between these two candidates, each Senator voting for one only, and if the candidate who heads the poll has obtained a majority of the votes of the Senators present, he shall be declared to have been duly elected, but if he fails to obtain a majority, his name shall be submitted to a further ballot, and if he then fails to obtain a majority, the election shall be treated as abortive, and a fresh election ordered for a date to be fixed by the Seanad.

101. Should the candidates number more than two but less than five, or should only two be proposed, the method of election shall be the same, save that in the former case the first ballot shall be for the selection of two names, and in the latter for one.

102. In all cases under these Orders in which the ballot has been taken as between two candidates only, the Cathaoirleach, in the event of an equality of votes, may exercise his casting vote, or in his discretion submit the names to a further ballot; but should an equality of votes again result, the Cathaoirleach shall exercise his casting vote.

103. Should only one candidate be nominated, his name shall be submitted to the ballot, and if he obtains a majority of the votes of the Senators present and voting, he shall be declared to have been duly elected, otherwise the election shall be treated as abortive, and a fresh election ordered for a date to be fixed by the Seanad.

104. At the commencement of each Session the Seanad shall appoint a Committee on Standing Orders, which shall consist of the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach ex officio, and not more than four other Senators.