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IMEACHTA AN CHOISTE.PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.Dé Céadaoin, 24adh Mí na Samhna, 1926.Wednesday, 24th November, 1926.1. The Committee met at 4 p.m., in Committee Room No. 106. 2. Present:—Ceann Comhairle (Chairman); the Minister for Finance; the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance; Deputies: P. S. Doyle, Mulcahy, Thrift, Johnson, Tierney, C. Hogan and Magennis. 3. The Committee resumed consideration of the proposals submitted to the Committee. (i) Re-election at a General Election of outgoing Chairman of Dáil Eireann. Deputy Johnson moved: “That the Committee is of opinion that it is not desirable to alter the Constitution for the purpose of making special provision for securing that the Deputy who has acted as Ceann Comhairle should become a member of a new Dáil without election.” The motion was declared lost— Deputies Johnson and Magennis dissenting. The Minister for Finance moved: “That the Committee consider that it is desirable that the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil should keep himself entirely clear of party affiliations during his term of office; that the difficulty in these circumstances of his securing election in any constituency to the subsequent Dáil will tend to be great; and they are therefore of opinion that a change in the Constitution is desirable.” The motion was declared carried— Deputies Johnson and Magennis dissenting. Deputy Johnson moved: “That if an alteration of the Constitution is to be made so as to make special provision in respect to the election of Chairman, it should be to allow the Dáil to appoint its own Chairman from either inside or outside the Dáil.” The motion was declared lost— Deputies Johnson and Magennis dissenting. The Minister for Finance moved: “That the Committee is of opinion that the Constitution (Amendment No. 2) Bill should be proceeded with.” The motion was declared carried— Deputies Johnson and Magennis dissenting. (ii.) Proclamation of day of General Election as a public holiday. The Committee having decided to recommend the abolition of the public holiday on the day of a General Election, proceeded to consider further the question of a re-arrangement of hours of polling, should the public holiday be abolished. The Committee agreed to suggest tentatively that the altered hours should be from 12 noon to 10 p.m. (iii) Duration of Dáil Eireann. The Committee decided to recommend that the maximum period of Dáil Eireann as fixed by the Constitution should be six years, but that a period shorter than the maximum should be fixed by ordinary legislation. The Committee was of opinion that the shorter period should be left to the house for decision. (iv) Extern Ministers. The Committee decided to recommend that Constitution (Amendment No. 5) Bill be proceeded with. 4. Deputy Johnson desired to have placed on record his opinion that the present was not an opportune time for amendment of the Constitution; and his view that urgency in regard to the proposals before the Committee had not been proved. 5. The next meeting of the Committee, to consider the Chairman’s Draft Report, was fixed for 3 p.m. on Friday, November 26th. The Committee adjourned at 6.20 p.m. |
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