Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

When are we going to deal seriously with the question of reforming how we organise our business in this House? It is a disgraceful denigration and debasing of Parliament that the Government Whip already liberally uses the guillotine at the beginning of the second formal week of this term in the second year of the Government's life.

A case has already been struck down in the High Court because of the manner in which we scrutinise legislation in the House. For that reason and no other, I oppose the late sitting. It is especially reprehensible that the Government, under the cloak of darkness, is trying to conceal the debate on the Laffoy commission in 60 minutes at that hour of night.

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