Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

In respect of No. a4, while I welcome the fact that this Bill is being brought in, may I ask the Taoiseach was this approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday last? The reason I ask is there was no contact at all with at least the Fine Gael Party about this matter and one would have thought there would have been such contact out of normal courtesy on a Bill, especially a Bill as sensitive as this, particularly when it was known to the Government that Fine Gael intended to move a private Members' Bill on Internet grooming.

As the Taoiseach will be aware, in May 1980 a similar situation arose on the Ombudsman (No. 2) Bill. One does not want to hold up the House from doing its business and one does not want endless repetition on the same issue. The Government has had to change its tune here. The Taoiseach would have been aware of the private Members' motion having been submitted, yet the original order circulated stated that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007 would be taken at 9 o'clock. Now the Bill is being taken at 6 o'clock, which has obviously necessitated the Fine Gael Party returning to the Ceann Comhairle seeking authorisation under exceptional circumstances to change the party's private Members' motion at very short notice. I do not know who is responsible, but it is not the way to do business. I am quite sure the Taoiseach accepts that this could have been handled far more competently and efficiently. If the Government had the courtesy to inform Deputies Howlin and Jim O'Keeffe of this matter, perhaps the Taoiseach would not have had to refer to a precedent of 1980 to look for the Ceann Comhairle's authorisation to change private Members' business at short notice. The Taoiseach might like to clear that up.

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