When all the returns to writs issued for a General Election to the Dáil shall have come into the hands of the Clerk of the Dáil, he shall issue notices to all Teachtaí returned, notifying them that their attendance is required on a day (or days) to be named by him, which shall be prior to that mentioned in the Proclamation for the summoning of the Dáil, for the purpose of complying with the provisions of Article 17 of the Constitution. The Clerk shall make all necessary arrangements for the purpose of this order.

On the first day of the meeting of the Dáil subsequent to a General Election, the proceedings shall be opened by the Clerk at the Table reading the Proclamation convening the Dáil.

The Clerk shall then make a Report stating the manner in which he has issued the writs for such Election. This report shall enumerate the Returning Officers to whom, and the Constituencies in respect of which, such writs were issued, and it shall also state the date or dates of issue. He shall also announce the names of all Teachtaí returned to serve in the Dáil, giving the constituencies in each case.

A copy of the writ of election of each Teachta and of the return endorsed thereon shall be laid upon the Table by the Clerk.

The Dáil shall thereupon proceed to the election of a Ceann Comhairle, and a motion may be made to that effect by any Teachta, who has taken his seat according to law. The Clerk shall receive all such motions, put the necessary questions, and declare the results. The Ceann Comhairle shall, immediately upon his election, take the chair, provided that in the case of the absence of the Ceann Comhairle the Dáil may, on motion made without notice, appoint a Deputy to act as Ceann Comhairle for the time being, and the Clerk shall receive all such motions, and put the necessary questions, and declare the results.

An election shall be held for a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, and motions may be made to this effect after due notice, as prescribed by these Standing Orders.

No Minister may act as Ceann Comhairle or Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

The Term of Office of the Ceann Comhairle and of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle shall be that of the Dáil, provided that the Dáil may, at any time, by special resolution, remove either the Ceann Comhairle or the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

The Ceann Comhairle shall nominate at the commencement of every session a panel of not less than two Teachtaí, of whom one shall act as temporary Ceann Comhairle or Chairman of Committees of the whole Dáil, when requested so to do by the Ceann Comhairle.

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

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

The Ceann Comhairle shall publish at least three clear days before the opening of each ordinary Session of the Dáil, a notice, which shall state the place, date, and hour of opening the Session. If the Dáil be summoned for an earlier date than that fixed on the prorogation or adjournment, the summons shall also state the reason for such earlier Session.

For the transaction of business in the Dáil the presence of at least twenty Teachta shall be necessary.

If, at any stage in a sitting of the Dáil, any Teachta calls the attention of Ceann Comhairle to the fact that there are less than twenty Teachta present, inclusive of the Ceann Comhairle, should he be satisfied on a count that there is not a quorum, shall adjourn the Dáil until a later hour, to be named by him, or until the next ordinary sitting.

While the Dáil is in session, it shall meet at 3 o'clock, p.m., punctually, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays of each week, unless the Dáil shall otherwise order. At 8.30 o'clock p.m. the Ceann Comhairle shall take the Order of the Day for the adjournment of the Dáil whereupon any Teachta may bring forward any matter for discussion, of which he has previously given notice not later than 6.30 o'clock p.m. In the event of such discussion taking place the Dáil shall adjourn not later than 9 o'clock p.m., but the Dáil shall not divide on any question after a motion for the adjournment has been made.

A motion that the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 o'clock on any evening may be made without notice and not later than 6.30 o'clock p.m. on the same evening. On Tuesdays and Thursdays this motion shall be made only by a minister.

A motion that the Dáil do adjourn for a period not exceeding two hours may, at any time, be made by permission of the Ceann Comhairle, and without notice.

Every sitting of the Dáil shall be governed by a printed Order Paper, which shall be prepared by the Ceann Comhairle in consultation with a Committee to be known as the Committee on Procedure, of which a majority shall be nominated by the a member of the Executive Council. The business shall be dealt with in order as printed, except when consideration of the Order Paper shall be suspended in accordance with the provisions furnished elsewhere in these Standing Orders. The President of the Executive Council shall have power to determine the order in which Ministerial business shall appear on paper.

All motions to be put on the Order Paper for any day shall reach the Clerk in writing, signed by a Teachta, not later than 11 a.m. on the fourth preceding day. Such motions, if accepted, shall forthwith be published to the Dáil. All amendments to such motions, to be put on the Order Paper for the same day, shall reach the Clerk in writing, signed by a Teachta, not later than 11 a.m. on the second preceding day: Provided that by permission of the Ceann Comhairle and by leave of the house, urgent motions may be made on shorter notice.

The Order Paper for each day shall be posted to the Dublin address of each Teachta so as to arrive not later than the first post on the morning of that day. It shall contain the text of all Questions to be asked of Ministers and of all motions to be proposed (save such as these Standing Orders elsewhere allow to be proposed without notice). It shall also contain the text of all amendments, whether to motions or Bills, intended to be proposed in the Dáil or in the Dáil sitting in Committee.

The Ceann Comhairle may, at the request of a Teachta, suspend consideration of the Order Paper for the discussion of a matter which the Ceann Comhairle considers urgent and of sufficient public importance, and provided further that the request has the support of not less than twelve Teachta indicated by rising in their places. Such requests can only be made at the end of Questions, and before the Dáil shall have entered upon the other business of the day.

If leave be given to suspend consideration of the Order Paper for the discussion of an urgent matter of public importance, such matter shall stand over until 7 o'clock p.m., on the same day when it shall come before the Dáil on a motion for the adjournment of the Dáil till the next day on which it would ordinarily have met.

Questions must reach the Clerk in writing not later than 4 o'clock p.m. on the second preceding day before that on which they are to be asked, but no Question shall be handed in on a Saturday or Sunday, provided that Questions relating to matters of urgent public importance may, by permission of the Ceann Comhairle, be asked on private notice to a Minister.

Questions addressed to a Minister must relate to public affairs connected with his Department, or to matters of administration for which the Ministry is officially responsible.

The Ceann Comhairle shall examine every Question in order to insure that its purpose is to elucidate matters of fact or of policy, that it shall be as brief as possible, and that it contains no argument or personal imputation upon a Teachta. The Ceann Comhairle may amend any Question, after consultation with the Teachta responsible for the Question, to secure its compliance with the Standing Orders. Should the Teachta responsible for the Question object to such amendment he may withdraw the Question.

All Questions shall be taken directly the Dáil shall sit, and before the Dáil shall enter upon any other business.

If any Question be not reached by 3.30 o'clock p.m. the Minister to whom it is addressed shall cause an answer to be provided in the Official Report of the Debates of Dáil Eireann, unless the Teachta responsible for the question has signified his desire to postpone the Question.

Any Teachta who does not desire an oral answer to his Question may distinguish it by an asterisk, in which case the Minister to whom it is addressed shall cause an answer to be provided in the Official Report of the Debates of Dáil Eireann.

A Question may be asked by the Teachta in whose name it stands, or, if he is absent when the Question is called, by any other Teachta, at his request, in writing. Questions shall be put by each Teachta by rising in his place and indicating the number of the Question on the Order Paper.

Supplementary Questions may only be put for the further elucidation of the information requested, and shall be subject to the ruling of the Ceann Comhairle, both as to relevance and as to number.

Questions addressed to a Teachta of the Dáil, not a Minister, must relate to some Dáil motion, or other matter in connection with the Dáil for which the Teachta is responsible.

A Teachta desiring to speak shall rise in his place. Should more than one Teachta rise at the same time the Ceann Comhairle shall call upon one of them. Teachtaí shall address the Ceann Comhairle.

When the Ceann Comhairle addresses the Dáil from the Chair any Teachta who may be in possession shall resume his seat.

No Teachta 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; but a Teachta is not precluded from speaking on an amendment by reason of having spoken upon the original motion or upon any other amendment.

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.

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 Ceann Comhairle which is equivalent to a direct negative.

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

A motion to rescind or 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 Order Paper to rescind any Resolution of the Dáil within six months of the date of its adoption, except with the written assent of not less than twenty-five members of the Dáil.

No Teachta shall re-open a discussion on a question already decided during the same Session, except by the indulgence of the Dáil for a personal explanation. A Teachta who has spoken on a motion may not again discuss it when speaking on a motion for the adjournment.

A Teachta who persists in irrelevance or repetition in debate and who, in the opinion of the Ceann Comhairle, is speaking for the purpose of obstructing business, may be directed by the Ceann Comhairle to discontinue his speech, after the attention of the Dáil has been called to his conduct.

A Teachta who persists in obstructing the business of the Dáil in a disorderly manner may be required by the Ceann Comhairle to withdraw from the Dáil for the remainder of the sitting. If the disorder be of an aggravated character the President of the Executive Council or the Minister who, at the time, is acting in his place may by motion made without notice, amendment, adjournment, or debate, propose the suspension of such Teachta from the service of the House: Provided that on receiving from the Teachta so suspended a written and approved expression of regret, to be entered on the Journal of the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle shall lay the same before the Dáil, and on motion made without notice, amendment, adjournment, or debate, put the question for the discharge of the Order of suspension, whereupon, if the question passes in the affirmative, the Order shall be discharged and the Teachta re-admitted.

Teachtaí so withdrawn or suspended from attendance in the Dáil shall take no part in full meeting of the Dáil for the period of suspension determined by the Dáil, but they may continue to act on any Special Committees of the Dáil of which they may be members, unless the Dáil otherwise decides.

The Ceann Comhairle is the sole judge of Order in the Dáil, and has authority to suppress disorder and to enforce prompt obedience to his ruling, and he may call upon Officers of the Guard to preserve the liberties of debate and the privileges of the Dáil.

In making references to members of the Dáil, the following rules shall apply:-

(a) Ministers shall be indicated by the Ministry or Department for which they are answerable.

(b) Deputies shall be referred to by name, thus "Deputy A. B."

No Teachta shall pass between the Chair and any other Teachta who is speaking, nor stand in any of the passages or gangways of the House.

After a Ministerial motion has been proposed and seconded, and has been further discussed for not less than one hour, a Minister 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, unless it appears to the Ceann Comhairle that the motion is an infringement of the rights of a minority, or an abuse of the Rules of the Dáil, provided that on motions other than Ministerial motions any Teachta may move the closure of debate, when a motion has been proposed and seconded and further disussed for one half hour.

When the motion: "That the question be now put" has been carried, and the question consequent thereon has been decided, any further motion may be at once made which may be requisite to bring to a decision any question already proposed from the Chair; and also, if a section 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.

When a Bill is being considered in Committee of the whole Dáil, or is to be so considered, the Dáil may, by resolution, specify the time which shall be given to the consideration of any section or group of sections. When the time so allotted shall have expired, if such section or group of sections have not already been voted on, the Ceann Comhairle shall, without motion or discussion, put to the Committee the amendment under discussion, and any other amendment or amendments, which the Committee, on a show of hands, without discussion, decides shall be so put. When all amendments have been disposed of, the Ceann Comhairle shall put the section or sections concerned to the Committee. If the time allotted to any section or group of sections shall expire at 8.30 o'clock p.m., the Committee may continue to sit for the purpose of taking the necessary votes.

At any stage of a debate, other than a debate on any Stage of a Bill, a Teachta may rise and claim to move: "That the Dáil proceed to the next business," and this motion shall take precedence of all amendments to the original question: Provided that this motion be not made more than once during the discussion on any question.

This motion cannot be made where the original question is one relating to the ordering of public business, or the meeting of the Dáil, or in Committee.

If the Dáil resolves this motion in the affirmative the original question is thereby disposed of, and the Dáil shall proceed to the next business on the Order Paper.

When any question is to be put to the Dáil the Ceann Comhairle shall arise and 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 contrary opinion shall say "Níl." He shall judge from the answers to his questions and declare which side, in his judgement, is in the majority. If the declaration of the Ceann Comhairle as to his decision on a question be challenged, he shall order the Dáil to divide. The Clerk of the Dáil shall then call the roll of Teachtaí, who shall reply "Tá" or "Níl," as the case may be. The Clerk shall then hand a Division Paper stating the result to the Ceann Comhairle, who shall announce the numbers to the Dáil and declare the result of the Division. In giving their votes Teachtaí shall attend in their places, and rise when recording their votes.

Questions in the Dáil shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the Teachtaí present, other than the Ceann Comhairle, or Presiding Teachta, who shall have and exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.

When any question has been put by the Ceann Comhairle before 8.30 o'clock p.m. such question shall be decided and a division taken if called for, and the result declared before Dáil Eireann adjourns.

Every Teachta present when his name is called in a division must record his vote.

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

The Dáil shall go into Committee without question put whenever it reaches business on the Order Paper which requires to be considered in Committee. When the Dáil is in Committee business may not be stopped if less than a quorum is present, save when a vote is to be taken.

In Committee of the whole Dáil a Teachta, save the mover of an amendment, shall not speak for longer than ten minutes, nor more than three times on any one matter, provided that this order shall not apply in Committee to a Teachta in charge of a Bill. When more than one Teachta rises to speak, the Ceann Comhairle shall give preference to a Teachta who has not previously spoken on the same matter, or to a Teachta who has spoken less frequently than other Teachtaí presenting themselves to the Ceann Comhairle.

A motion or amendment proposed in Committee need not be seconded.

A Committee of the whole Dáil may from time to time direct the Chairman to report a reolution or resolutions, or to make a special report to the Dáil, or to report progress and ask leave to sit again.

When a Committee of the whole Dáil has concluded the consideration of the matters before it, the Chairman shall be directed to report, that the Committee has agreed to them with or without amendment.

In addition to the Committees consisting of the whole of the Dáil, the Dáil may appoint Special Committees upon motions appearing on the Order Paper. Such motion shall, save as otherwise provided in these Standing Orders, specifically state the terms of reference to the Committee, define the powers devolved upon them, nominate the members to act upon them, state the quorum in each case, and, if necessary, fix a date upon which they shall report back to the Dáil.

Committees shall, as far as possible, be representative of all parties of opinion in the Dáil.

The Dáil may, on motion made without notice, discharge any members of Committees in case of non-attendance and appoint other members in substitution for them.

Visitors may be introduced by Teachtaí to such places as may be reserved for them by the Ceann Comhairle, and authorised representatives of the Press may be present at Sittings of the Dáil and Special Committees.

In case of special emergency any Teachta may move that all visitors and Press representatives be excluded from the Dáil, and this shall be done by direction of the Ceann Comhairle, with the assent of two-thirds of the Teachtaí present.

Officers of the Dáil shall include a Clerk, an Assistant Clerk, and a Captain of the Guard.

The Clerk shall be responsible to the Ceann Comhairle for all secretarial business arising in connection with the Dáil, and shall keep records of its proceedings.

The Captain of the Guard shall discharge the following duties:-

(a) He shall admit and exclude visitors from debates, and shall preserve order and decorum amongst them while present.

(b) He shall cause the removal of persons irregularly admitted to the Dáil, persons guilty of disorderly conduct, and persons who have been directed to withdraw.

(c) He shall control the members of the Guard, and shall carry out such orders as may be given him by the Ceann Comhairle.

(d) He shall be responsible to the Ceann Comhairle for the internal safety of the buildings of the Dáil, and shall supervise the lighting and other apparatus, and shall take alll other steps necessary for this purpose.

An Official Report of the Debates of the Dáil shall be issued under the supervision of the Ceann Comhairle.

A copy of the Official Report of the Debates of the Dáil, as well as every other paper, document, and publication of the Dáil, shall be sent to every Teachta.

A revised edition of the Official Report of the Debates shall be prepared in bound volumes at such periods as the Ceann Comhairle shall determine, and at least once in each Session.

Arrangements shall be made by which the Official Report of the Debates of the Dáil of each day shall be available for the second ensuing day.

The Order Paper shall be confined to Questions and Ministerial business on Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the entire sitting, on Wednesdays until 7 o'clock, p.m., and on Fridays until 6 o'clock, p.m. Motions or Bills (if any), moved by private Teachtaí and appearing on the Order Paper, shall be taken during the remaining period of ordinary sittings on Wednesdays and Fridays, provided that a Minister may move, after Questions, on any Wednesday or Friday, that, on that day, specified Ministerial business shall not be interrupted, if under consideration at the time fixed for taking up motions or Bills to be moved by private Teachtaí. Such motions may be proposed without notice and shall be decided without amendment.

If any Motion by private Teachtaí be not disposed of before 8 o'clock, p.m., the Dáil shall fix a day for its further consideration, such day not being more than four weeks forward, or failing such fixing of a day, such motion or Bill shall be put down as the first business for the next sitting at which private business may be taken.

Should a private Teachta's Bill pass its Second Reading, it shall, without question put, be referred to a Committee, which shall meet within ten days of such Reading, provided that, should a private Teachta's Bill not be voted on when before the Dáil for Second Reading, it shall not be considered to be rejected, but shall be brought forward again, and given priority over new business introduced by private Teachtaí, on the next ensuing occasion set apart for the consideration of private Teachta's business.

Any question for decision by the Dáil shall be brought before it by the introduction of a simple resolution or the introduction of a Bill.

The matters that may be dealt with by resolution shall include Standing Orders, adjournments, suspension of Teachtaí, appointment of Committees, appointment or removal of the Ceann Comhairle, questions of procedure generally, expressions of condolence, censure, thanks, and opinion, and any other matter which, by law, the Dáil may decide by simple resolutions. A vote of condolence may be moved without notice by the President of the Executive Council or a Member of the Ministry acting for him.

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

When a Bill is to be initiated in the Dáil a copy shall be handed to the Clerk of the Dáil, and its title, and a short description of its purpose, prepared by the proposers and accepted by the Ceann Comhairle, shall appear on the Order Paper. The Teachta giving notice shall move for leave to introduce the Bill. This motion shall be decided without amendment. If leave to introduce the Bill is granted such Bill shall be printed and sent to all Teahctaí.

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.

A Bill which has passed its Second Reading shall by motion made without notice or debate be referred to Dáil Eireann sitting in Committee, or to a Special Committee for detailed consideration. Such motion shall fix the day for the commencement of the Committee Stage, the Chairman of and number of Teachtaí acting on any such Special Committee as aforesaid, and Standing Order No. 61 shall otherwise apply, save that such motion need not appear on the Order Paper.

In the Committee Stage a Bill must be voted on section by section and not as a whole. Any section of a Bill may be amended or deleted in Committee, and new sections may be inserted.

When a Bill is to be considered by the Dáil sitting in Committee, proposed amendments shall be notified in due time and shall be arranged by the Ceann Comhairle in proper order and shall appear on the Order Paper of the Dáil on those days on which the Dáil in Committee is to consider the sections to which the amendments refer, provided nevertheless that the Ceann Comhairle may, in his discretion, permit any amendment to be moved without notice.

When a Bill is being considered in Committee the motion to be made in repect of each section shall be that the section shall stand part of the Bill. Amendments to the section may then be moved. When any section is moved a Teachta may move as an amendment that a new section be inserted before it in the Bill. This amendment shall be taken first and, if passed, the new section proposed shall become the subject of the motion. The original motion shall not be defeated by the passage of such an amendment, but shall only be postponed.

In considering a Bill a Special Committee may, at any time, adjourn, and the Dáil sitting in Committee may, at any time, report progress, provided that a motion to this effect has been carried. Any such motion which is deemed by the Chairman to be dilatory or obstructive shall not be accepted. The consideration of the preamble and title of a Bill in Committee shall be deferred until the sections have been considered.

It shall be an instruction to all Committees to which Bills may be committed, that they have power to make such amendments therein as they shall think fit, provided such amendments be relevant to the subject matter of the Bill; but that, if any such amendments shall not be within the title of the Bill, they amend the title accordingly, and report the same specially to the Dáil.

When the preamble (if any), and the title of a Bill shall have been considered in Committee the Bill shall at once be returned to the Dáil.

When a Bill has been returned from a Special Committee or from the Dáil sitting in Committee, notice shall be given of a motion to receive the Bill for final consideration. On the fourth stage amendments may be moved, but when in the opinion of the Ceann Comhairle an amendment proposed on the fourth stage is one of substance or introduces new matter into the Bill, the Bill shall be recommitted for consideration of such section or sections as, in the opinion of the Ceann Comhairle, are affected. In the case of Bills returned from Dáil Eireann sitting in Committee no amendments previously rejected shall be in order.

After the Dáil has received a Bill from Committee, and such Bill has passed the fourth stage debate, it shall be put forward for final consideration.

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

Any Bill not enacted within the Session then current, may, upon resolution of Dáil Eireann, be carried over in any completed stage to the next Session.

Every motion for any aid, grant or charge on the public revenue or for any charge upon the people shall be first considered in Committee of the whole Dáil to be known as the Committee on Finance. The Committee shall report before any resolution or vote of the Dáil is taken. No such motion as aforesaid, nor any amendment thereto proposing to increase the amount named in any such motion may be made by any Teachta, save a member of the Executive Council.

When a Bill involves any aid, grant or charge upon the public revenue or upon the people the motion referred to in this order may be taken at any time prior to the Committee Stage of the Bill.

On the completion by the Dáil of the consideration of any Resolution or series of Resolutions voting money for Public Services, or imposing charges on the public revenue or on the people, a Bill shall be prepared and introduced by the Minister for Finance.

The ordinary yearly Estimates for the Public Services shall be presented to the Dáil and circulated to Teachtaí, not less than fourteen days prior to the consideration thereof, and not later than the first day of April, and shall be passed through all stages in Committee and in the Dáil before the first day of August in each year: Provided that supplementary or additional Estimates not included therein may be brought forward after that date on leave given by the Dáil after motion made on notice.

The Ceann Comhairle shall put the Estimates Vote by Vote. It shall be in order at any time during the discussion of a Vote or any item in a Vote, to move the postponement of such Vote until the remainder of the Votes in the Estimates shall have been disposed of. When any Item or Vote has been dosposed of, it shall not be in order again to debate the same on a new or subsequent Item then under consideration, except for the purpose of explaining or illustrating the question under discussion.

When a motion is made in the Committee on Finance to omit or reduce any Item of a Vote, the question shall be proposed from the Chair for omitting or reducing that Item accordingly, and Teachtaí shall speak to that question alone until it has been disposed of; but in the debate reference may be made to other Items in the Estimates in order to explain or illustrate the question under discussion.

When it is intended to move more than one reduction in any Vote or Item of a Vote, the question shall first be proposed from the Chair on the largest reduction.

When it is proposed to move several reductions they shall be taken in the order in which the Items to which they relate appear in the printed Estimates.

After a question for omitting or reducing any Item of a Vote has been put from the Chair and voted upon, no motion or debate shall be allowed upon any preceding Item.

When it has been agreed to omit or reduce Items in a Vote the question shall afterwards be put upon the reduced voted.

In the discussion of supplementary Estimates the debate shall be confined to the Items constituting the same, and no discussion may be raised on the original Estimate, save in so far as it may be necessary to explain or illustrate the particular Items under discussion.

It shall be in order, before entering on the discussion of the Items in a Vote, to move that the Estimate in question be referred back to the Minister in charge of the Department for reconsideration.

There shall be appointed at the beginning of each financial year a special Committee to be designated "The Committee of Public Accounts" to examine and report to the Dáil upon the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the Dáil to meet the public expenditure, and to suggest alterations and improvements in the form of the Estimates submitted to the Dáil. The Committee shall consist of nine Teachtaí, none of whom shall be a Minister, and five of whom shall constitute a quorum. The Committee shall be otherwise constituted according to the provisions of Standing Order No. 61, and so as to be impartially representative of the Dáil.

Immediately after a Money Bill has passed the Dáil and before it is sent to the Seanad the Ceann Comhairle shall issue his certificate as reqired by Article 35 of the Constitution, and he shall announce that fact to the Dáil. He shall also cause an announcement to be transmitted immediately to the Seanad informing them of the passage of any such Bill, of which a copy shall be forwarded at the same time.

On receipt of a memorial signed by two-fifths of the Teachtaí of the Dáil and addressed to him within three days after a Money Bill has passed the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle shall permit without notice a motion to appoint three Teachtaí to act on such a Committee of Privileges, as is mentioned in Article 35 of the Constitution, and a Message shall be despatched to the Seanad informing them accordingly.

On receipt of a Message from the Seanad to the effect that a Committee of Privileges is required in consequence of proceedings in that House, the Ceann Comhairle shall permit without notice a similar motion to appoint three Teachtaí from the Dáil.

The President of the Executive Council shall thereupon be charged to convene a meeting of the Committee within seven days from the issue of the Certificate of the Ceann Comhairle, and to request the Senior Judge of the Supreme Court willing and able to act to preside at such meeting.

Messages from the Dáil to the Seanad shall be in writing, signed by the Clerk or Assistant Clerk of the Dáil, and shall be conveyed from the Dáil to the Seanad by an officer of communications, who shall be nominated by the President of the Executive Council. Such person shall have access to such parts of the Galleries of the House as the Ceann Comhairle may direct.

When an official messenger bearing a message from the Seanad is in attendance the Ceann Comhairle shall permit the messenger to enter and present his Message to the Clerk at the Table. He shall thereupon withdraw.

The Ceann Comhairle shall at the first convenient opportunity during the sitting in which it is received communicate the Message to the Dáil: Provided that, in case of special urgency, any business in progress on the receipt of such Message may be interrupted to hear the same.

If a Message from the Seanad requires any action to be taken or thing to be done by the Dáil, it shall be set down on the Order Paper next thereafter prepared, and shall be considered accordingly: Provided that in case of special urgency the Dáil may consider such Message at any earlier period.

When a Message is despatched from the Seanad to the Dáil conveying a resolution requesting that, pursuant to Article 38 of the Constitution, a Joint Sitting of both Houses be held for the purpose of debating the proposals of a Bill or any amendment thereof, the Ceann Comhairle shall, with the assent of the Dáil, and after consultation with the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, fix and announce a convenient day and hour for such Joint Sitting, and such day shall be within fourteen days of the receipt of the Message of the Seanad. The Ceann Comhairle shall thereupon communicate the decision of the Dáil to the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.

The Ceann Comhairle shall summon Teachtaí to attend such Joint Sitting.

The place of Meeting of every such Joint Sitting shall be the chamber of the Dáil and it shall be the duty of the Ceann Comhairle to make all such preliminary arrangements as may be necessary for the meeting.

The Chairman of a Joint Sitting of the Seanad and the Dáil shall be the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, and in his absence the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, in the absence of both, Leas-Cheann-Comhairle, and in the absence of all three, the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The quorum for a Joint Sitting shall be thirty-two, but of this number neither House may be represented by less than ten members. The proceedings of every such Joint Sitting shall be governed by the Standing Orders of the Dáil, 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.

When a Bill has passed through all its stages in the Dáil the Clerk of the Dáil shall make or cause to be made an exact copy thereof, and shall vouch such copy to be a true and correct copy by certifying the same in writing over his own hand at the foot of the last page of the copy, having previously initialled and numbered each preceding page. The signed certificate of the Clerk shall state the date of the passing of the Bill through its last stage in the Dáil, and the date of its transmission to the Seanad.

Such true copy of a Bill passed as aforesaid and duly certified in the manner hereinbefore provided, together with a message referring to such Bill, and stating that the Dáil desires the agreement of the Seanad to the passing of the same into law shall be conveyed to the Seanad in the manner provided in Standing Order No. 104.

A Bill which has been initiated in and passed by the Seanad shall be deemed to have passed its first stage in the Dáil, and shall be set down for its seond stage upon a day to be appointed by the Committee on Procedure: Provided that if, on the day so appointed, no motion for its second reading be proposed, the Bill shall no longer appear among the Bills in progress and shall not be further proceeded with in the same Session except by leave of the Dáil granted upon the Motion of any Teachta.

Where a Bill transmitted from the Dáil to the Seanad shall have passed through all its stages in Seanad Eireann, and shall have been sent back to the Dáil with amendments made in the Seanad, or in the case of Money Bills with recommendations made by the Seanad, such amendment or recommendations as the case may be, shall be printed and circulated to Teachtaí of the Dáil and the Dáil shall in Committee consider and report on such amendments or recommendations as the case may be.

A Ministerial motion proposed but not voted on at any Sitting shall be taken up and decided on at the next Sitting of the Dáil.

An Amendment made by the Seanad to a Bill may be accepted by the Dáil with or without amendment or be rejected. No amendment shall be moved to an Amendment made by the Seanad that is not strictly relevant thereto, nor can any other amendment be moved to the Bill unless it be consequential upon the acceptance, amendment or rejection of a Seanad Amendment.

In the case of disagreement between the Dáil and Seanad in regard to any Bill, the Dáil may propose a conference between members representing both Houses for the purpose of discussing the points of disagreement. Any motion for a conference shall specify the purpose for which the conference is desired and the number of representatives of the Dáil proposed to be appointed. When the proposal for a conference has been accepted by the Seanad the Dáil shall nominate the members to represent the House at the conference, the time and place of which shall be fixed by the Ceann Comhairle.

When a Message is received from the Seanad proposing a conference the matter shall be set down on the Order Paper next thereafter prepared. If the proposal of the Seanad be accepted the Dáil shall nominate a number of Deputies, equal to the number of Senators proposed by the Seanad to represent the Dáil at such conference, and the Seanad shall be informed accordingly.

In each case the conclusions of such conference shall be reported to the Dáil.

Ministerial business on the Order Paper for any day which has not been reached, shall, without notice, be taken up next day after Questions, and dealt with or further postponed; but if not taken up next day shall again be put on the Order Paper.

Resignation of a Teachta from the Dáil shall be made in writing to the Ceann Comhairle.

A motion may be made, after notice, directing the Ceann Comhairle to direct the issue of a writ for the election of a Teachta to fill any vacancy that may occur from time to time. Such a motion shall be made after Questions and before taking up the consideration of any other business on the Order Paper.

The Clerk of the Dáil shall make a Report of the issue of every such writ, giving the name of the Returning Officer to whom, and the Constituency in respect of which, such writ was issued, and stating the date of issue.

On the receipt of the return to the writ the Clerk shall announce the name of the Teachta elected. A copy of the writ with the return endorsed thereon shall be laid upon the Table by the Clerk

All papers and documents laid on the Table shall be considered public.

By unanimous leave of the House, or, in cases of urgent necessity, of which the Ceann Comhairle shall be the Judge, any Standing Order or Orders of the Dáil may be suspended for the day's sitting and for a specified purpose on motion duly made with or without notice: Provided that when it is proposed without notice to move that any Standing Order relating to the taking of any stage of a Bill be suspended such motion shall not be received by the Ceann Comhairle unless the request to receive it shall have the support of not less than half the Teachtaí who have taken their seats according to law. Teachtaí shall indicate their support by rising in their places.

These Standing Orders may be amended at any time on motion made after notice.