Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I spent half the night preparing for the debate and have tabled a litany of amendments to the Bill. It is critical that it be advanced. I am shocked. I could not believe it when I heard this morning what had happened. It is an outrageous bureaucratic manoeuvre. That is all it is and the only thing we can call it. It strikes a blow at the autonomy and functioning of the select committee in a way that flies in the face of the so-called new politics. I just cannot believe it.

The committee discussed whether we needed to subject the Bill to pre-legislative scrutiny. Based on our input, we decided that we would not do so, that we wanted to move ahead. This is an incredibly well functioning committee. When dealing with other Bills we decided that pre-legislative scrutiny was necessary. We have been through that process in dealing with another Bill.

I want to make two points. There is no point in accepting any Opposition Bill on Second Stage if the Government is going to behave in this manner as it makes an absolute mockery of the process. I do not understand what a money message is. I gather it is a message placed on the Order Paper, giving permission to proceed. If this is not a bureaucratic manoeuvre, could the Government not simply do it now and proceed with the Bill next week? I do not fully understand the mechanics involved. However, I understand that if the Bill is not allowed to continue and we do not overturn this attempt, there will be no point in any Opposition Bill moving beyond Second Stage. This has serious ramifications for what we call new politics - it is nothing of the sort.