Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is proposed to take No. 16a, motion re ministerial rota for parliamentary questions; No. 29, Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad] - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 3, Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad] - Second and Subsequent Stages; and No. 2 - Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 [Seanad] - Second Stage (Resumed).

It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that No. 16a shall be decided without debate; Report and Final Stages of No. 29 shall be taken today and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 1.30 p.m. by one question that shall be put from the Chair and that shall, in respect of amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government; Second and Subsequent Stages of No. 3 shall be taken today and the following arrangements shall apply: the proceedings on Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 3.10 p.m.; the opening speeches of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes, and such Members may share their time; a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply that shall not exceed five minutes; the proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 3.42 p.m. by one question that shall be put from the Chair and that shall, in respect of amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Regarding the Autism Bill 2012, Second Stage of which shall be considered tomorrow, the following arrangements shall apply: the opening speech of Deputy Michael McCarthy and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Technical Group and of a Minister or Minister of State, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 15 minutes and such Members may share their time; a Minister or Minister of State, who may speak twice, shall be called upon not later than 1 p.m. to make a speech that shall not exceed 15 minutes; and Deputy Michael McCarthy shall be called upon to make a speech in reply that shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with No. 16a agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 29 agreed to?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No. In recent days, we have raised the issue of the guillotining of Bills before Christmas as well as the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2013 in the past two days. One of the key commitments in the programme for Government was that the Government would remove guillotines from non-emergency legislation. The programme referenced the significant use of the guillotine for non-emergency legislation.

No. 29 is on the establishment of Irish Water and giving it the capacity to install water meters and impose water charges in the next two years. There are various estimates as to when all of that will be done. Some have claimed that it will be post 2014. The Bill establishes an entity that makes water vulnerable to privatisation and other risks. The Tánaiste may claim that this is not the case, but I do not see the emergency dimension to this Bill. The Government must heed its own commitment in the programme for Government, given the farcical situation of the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2013 and, before Christmas, the Social Welfare Bill and the property tax Bill. People were given no time to debate anything. In principle, we are against the Bill. No. 3 is a short Bill with which we have no difficulty.

I urge the Government to take the Dáil and its own commitment on guillotines seriously.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Having rushed the property tax legislation through the Dáil, the Government is now minded to do the same in respect of Irish Water, metering, water charges and the potential privatisation of water.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is no potential.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Allowing just two hours for the debate is unacceptable. Some 47 amendments have been tabled for discussion. The Government is clearly minded to push the legislation through irrespective of the debate. I do not understand why it believes that there could be a thorough debate in such a limited time. We object strongly to the use of the guillotine, another attempt by the Government to push controversial legislation through the Dáil.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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I wish to put on the record the Technical Group's opposition to the use of the guillotine on the Water Services Bill.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Hear, hear. We are all against it.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I wish to make two points. First, the Government is anxious that Deputies would have plenty of opportunity to debate Bills, but we require some co-operation from the Opposition. For example, I offered additional time last week in respect of the property tax issue, but it was turned down. On the issue-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Stop. The Tánaiste did not.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste did not even show up for a vote.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We wanted more than the measly two hours that the Government was offering.

A Deputy:

The Tánaiste could tell the truth.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, will Deputies allow the Tánaiste to make his reply?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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He is talking ráiméis.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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They had their time, now let him reply without interruption.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We have offered in the course of some debates additional time, which has either been-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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A measly few hours.

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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The Opposition took two hours just talking about that.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----turned down or not used.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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It was not turned down.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Regarding the timetabling of Bills, my understanding is that the Government Whip has offered the Opposition-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Where is he?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----the opportunity to timetable the different Stages of Bills. This is something that has been done in the Dáil previously. Where legislation needs to be worked through, the Minister handling the Bill and Opposition spokespersons agree to a certain amount of time for Second Stage-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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It was not done in this case. Stop misleading the Dáil.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Deputy, please.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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You are misleading the Dáil.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Where is the Chief Whip?

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Australia.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will Deputy Ó Snodaigh please-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The opportunity was not offered this time. That is misleading the Dáil.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, Deputy.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Cá bhfuil an Whip?

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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As Gaeilge.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Tánaiste should not mislead the Dáil.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am not misleading the Dáil.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Tánaiste is misleading the Dáil. It has not been offered.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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If the Opposition is willing in general to timetable the different Stages of Bills, the grouping of amendments and so on, the Government is open to doing so, but we must get through our legislative programme.

Second, this is clearly about politics, given the contributions of Deputies Martin and McDonald.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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For God's sake.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Both Deputies referred to privatisation. This is a Bill to set up a State-owned company in which to vest the water resources of this country.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The Tánaiste is codding himself.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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It will sell them.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Answer the question.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Bill removes powers from local authorities.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Let us understand this.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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We have sold our water with our gas.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputies, please. I am about to put the question.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Why not allow the local authorities to handle this, as they should?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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If the best that the Opposition can do-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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It is a sell out.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----in criticising this legislation is to stand facts on their heads, then let us understand clearly what the Bill is about.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Where is the audit of the-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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We know what will happen.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste has made a career of standing facts on their head.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is about establishing a State company-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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An Bord Uisce.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----that will own the water resources of this country, which-----

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Commencing water metering.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Cad a dhéanfaidh an-----

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----will be retained in public ownership-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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In the same way we are selling off the forests.

John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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No forest is being sold.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----under a modern framework of a State-owned company. Nothing displays the bankruptcy of the Opposition more than describing a Bill that is about setting up a State company as some kind of privatisation.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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It is a charade.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a point of order-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am putting the question.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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A point of order has been called.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with No. 29 agreed to?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste has misled the House. The Chief Whip has not, in any shape or form, raised those issues with the Opposition.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with No. 3, Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Second and Subsequent Stages, agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with the Autism Bill 2012 - Second Stage tomorrow agreed to? Agreed. I am afraid we have run out of time on the Order of Business.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is no point in shooting the messenger. I only apply the rules, without fear or favour.