Committee Reports > List of Committees > Seanad > 1926 > Select Committee on Certain Proposals for Legislation to Amend Constitution > Report - Proposals for Legislation to Amend the Constitution

IMEACHTA AN CHOISTE.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.

Dé Máirt, 23adh Mína Samhna, 1926.

Tuesday, 23rd November, 1926.

1. The Committee met at 3 p.m., in Committee Room 106.

2. Present: — Ceann Comhairle (Chairman); the Minister for Finance; the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance; Deputies: Johnson, Mulcahy, Thrift, Tierney, P. S. Doyle and Connor Hogan.

3. The Committee considered the procedure to be adopted.

4. The Committee decided, Deputy Johnson dissenting, to consider seriatim the four proposals, and the extent to which they might affect other points in the Constitution, and to make recommendations accordingly.

(i) Re-election at a General Election of outgoing Chairman of Dáil Eireann.

This proposal was considered, and after discussion the Committee decided to postpone taking a formal decision on the question until the next meeting.

(ii) Proclamation of day of General Election as a Public Holiday.

The Committee was unanimously of opinion that the day of a General Election should not be proclaimed a public holiday, but that if the public holiday were discontinued, the hours of polling, as fixed by the Electoral Act, 1923, should be varied, so that the loss of facilities thus occasioned might be restored by more convenient hours of polling.

(iii) Duration of Dáil Eireann.

The Committee was of opinion that a recommendation might be made to the effect that the maximum duration of Dáil Eireann as fixed by the Constitution should be six years, and that provisions in the electoral law should limit the duration of Parliament to five or four years—a recommendation as to the actual period to be left over for subsequent decision.

5. The Committee adjourned at 5.30 p.m., and decided to meet again to-morrow (Wednesday), immediately after the adjournment of the Dáil.