Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It is not agreed. There are some changes but there is no real change about this. We have already lost 15 minutes from the appointed time at which this House was to reconvene and debate the members to be appointed to Government. Since the foundation of the State there have been eight occasions when the debate on the formation of a Government was of one, two or three days' duration. In some cases the motion was for four days, including the transfer of power from Charles Haughey to Albert Reynolds, and from the latter to John Bruton in 1994.

The allocation of time proposed by the Taoiseach, to 8.15 p.m., is insufficient. This country faces a whole range of issues and challenges, which Deputies on this side of the House want to debate in respect of the persons who are being either appointed or reappointed to Departments. Therefore, I respectfully propose an amendment to the Taoiseach's proposal that the discussion on the nomination of members of the Government conclude at 9.15 p.m. and that a vote be taken thereafter.

This is a reasonable request in view of the fact that this is not the appointment of a new Government, but the reappointment of persons who are already jaded and who have proven themselves to be failures in dealing with the many challenges the country faces.

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