Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will come in on that point. I have asked that as we go through this there would be some clarification. I sat with the clerk who has given time to try to explain this and I have suggested a guide for Deputies. I imagine there are very few people in the House who understand the rulings. The clerk has to go on existing rulings and precedent and all the rest but, for the life of me, I do not understand how there have been certain rulings made today. The problem here is we got notification of what was ruled out of order either this morning or late last night. We have no opportunity to contact the clerk. There is no time available for us to do this because we are going through the Finance Bill all the way through. I am not happy that there will be a position where we cannot vote on amendments that I believe should be in order. Deputy McGrath raises a genuine question. The two rules that rule an amendment out of order are that it places a cost on the people or a cost on the Exchequer. My amendment, like Deputy Donnelly's amendment, increases the cost on the Exchequer - we know that for a fact - yet it is allowed to be tabled and we are allowed to debate it. If a vote is called on it, it will be voted upon. There are other amendments that do exactly the same but they are ruled out of order. I do not think anybody in this committee knows these rules.