Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Government's legislative programme, published on the day the House resumed in September, listed 17 Bills for publication in this session. Only two, however, have been published. We have not been overburdened with legislative business from the Government during this session. No legislation is listed for debate in the Dáil next week, which is understandable because it is budget week.

After next week there will be five sitting days left before Christmas, two or three of which will presumably be taken up with the Social Welfare Bill which leaves two or three more days. There is no way that we will accept the nursing home Bill or any other Bill being introduced at short notice and rammed through the House a couple of days before Christmas and guillotined.

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