Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

As a matter of principle, the Taoiseach should take the Order of Business and respond to Leaders' Questions on every sitting day on which he is available. Of course, there will be times when he is away on official business. There must be reasonable provision for substitutions, but there should not be automatic provision that he need not turn up on a fixed day of every week. As Leader of the House and chief spokesman and representative of his Government, his chief responsibility is to be here in this House, speaking on his Government's behalf.

Much of the focus has been placed on two aspects of Standing Order 26. These are leave of absence for the Taoiseach on Thursdays and the precedence of the leader of a political party over the nominated representative of a technical group.

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