Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for her comments. I also ask her to indicate what she means by next week in terms of the process involved. As I mentioned to her, to the clerk and to other members, I will be away next week speaking at an LGBT conference in the USA. Could I suggest that we defer any votes until the week after? I apologise but this is longstanding commitment. I hope that the committee might facilitate my request to have the votes, if any, taken in a block on Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. I appreciate from where the Cathaoirleach is coming on this but, to be fair to me, as a member, we were never given a deadline or a date for votes. I understand that we have a pressing need to get things done by 20 December but I hope that we could defer the vote. I do not think that I am the only person who will be missing next week either. I would appreciate it if I could be facilitated.