Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is proposed to take No. 11a, motion re promissory notes arrangement (resumed); and No. 27, Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed).

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. tonight and shall adjourn on the conclusion of Oral Questions, and the sitting shall be suspended on the conclusion of No. 11a for 15 minutes; the proceedings in relation to No. 11a shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.30 p.m.; the resumed Second Stage of No. 27 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. tonight and the order shall resume thereafter with Topical Issues and Oral Questions; and, for the purposes of Standing Order 117A, the first Friday of the month for March shall be Friday, 8 March 2013, the time and date by which notice of a Bill in connection with that sitting shall be received by the Clerk shall be 11 a.m. on Friday, 22 February 2013, and related Standing Orders shall apply accordingly.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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There are four proposals to put to the House. Is the proposal for the suspension of sitting and that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 11a agreed to?

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Not agreed.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Deputy speaking on behalf of his party?

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I can only take a representative of each party.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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When the legislation on Anglo Irish Bank was rushed through last week, we were promised a full and open-ended debate on the promissory notes. I ask the Government to lift the guillotine on that debate because it is important that all Deputies have an opportunity to speak. When I sought time to speak I was only given five minutes due to the guillotine. As a Deputy elected to this House I would like to speak on the matter for longer than five minutes.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Peter Mathews only got four minutes.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister to lift the guillotine to allow Members to speak on the matter for as long as they require.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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A Leas-Cheann Comhairle -----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Sorry; I can only call representatives of parties. Deputy Higgins knows the situation. I will allow him to speak on the Order of Business.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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He only has one seat now.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Deputy will be lucky if he has one after the next election. He should be careful.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy cannot speak on this issue.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I want to say to the Minister-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I cannot let you in.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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He is not allowed to speak.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is absolutely outrageous that the Minister is trying to curtail and guillotine this debate.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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He cannot speak.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I have to call the leader.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Minister is proposing to push through a debt which will burden our children and their children for next 40 years. That is outrageous.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Please resume your seat.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I listened to Deputy Higgins for many years on the administrative council of the Labour Party.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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It is the same story over and over.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is tragic that he could not hold together a party of two.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is tragic that it took two parties to make the Labour Party.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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From the Government's perspective, the more debate we have on the successful renegotiation of the promissory note, the better. I am happy to adjourn the debate at 2.30 p.m. if Deputies still wish to speak at that stage.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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When will we return to the debate?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Whenever we get time.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is the proposal withdrawn?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I withdraw the guillotine if Deputies wish to speak. I did not get an opportunity to speak, although I hoped to wrap up the debate today. I hope I will get an opportunity to speak. This is something that every Deputy should be required to consider, speak about and, ultimately, vote on because the people of Ireland will want to know where they stand on this issue.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is it agreed that the proposal is withdrawn? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 27 agreed to?

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We do not agree with a guillotine on the Water Services Bill. This is important legislation and we think the guillotine should be lifted. I oppose the proposal.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is privatisation of the water supply.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I will move on to No. 4. Is the proposal-----

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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On a point of order, while I welcome the Minister's lifting of the guillotine-----

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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We are moving on from that.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Many Deputies on all sides of the House spoke on this motion for a fairly short amount of time because of the restrictions imposed by the guillotine.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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That has been dealt with.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Will the Minister consider allowing those who have already spoken on the motion to speak again, on the basis that sufficient time is now being provided to those who have yet to speak?

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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That is not a point of order.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Donnelly is too late.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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I am making this suggestion in the interests of Deputies on all sides of the House.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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He should have been here.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is the proposal for the sitting and business of the Dáil on Friday, 8 March 2013, agreed to?

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is not agreed. I do not know what the Minister has against the Gregorian calendar. Perhaps he does not like fish on Fridays. We want to make it clear that we would like more time for parliamentary scrutiny, particularly in the context of Leaders' Questions and questions to Ministers. Five weeks have passed since I was able to ask questions of the Minister for Health. I will be here tonight for Question Time. If the House is sitting on a more frequent basis, we should provide for accountability by means of Leaders' Questions and ministerial questions, rather than pretending to be engaging in parliamentary democracy.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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We would welcome that.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Most of us are here on Thursdays.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Well done, Deputy Keating. I am making a point about the very least we should be doing if we are to go down this road. We cannot accept the Friday sittings as long as they are no more than window-dressing.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The substantive issue is the ability of the Opposition to hold the Government to account on Leaders' Questions and to hold Ministers to account on Question Time.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I recall listening to the Deputy on a previous occasion when he spoke on a Friday sitting. I think he had to get a train to Dublin afterwards.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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That is right.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I drove. I was there. The point is that there was nothing I could do.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy is making a point that would be more properly discussed by the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. If the Deputy has any proposals to improve the functioning of the House, I am sure his Whip will be able to bring them forward.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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We could have Saturday sittings.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am putting the question.