Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

With the greatest of respect, the Ceann Comhairle referred to the Constitution. We have a constitutional right as Parliament to examine legislation and to form an opinion on it. There is a proposal before the House that we amend the Bill passed here early this morning to provide a new method for the scheme to be presented to the House. We must make up our minds as legislators as to whether we give approval to this amendment. For us to inform ourselves to exercise that constitutional right, which we still have, there are matters we can raise about the scheme that will be presented to the House. Among those matters that we raise is the extent to which the scheme will address concerns that have been raised by Members about the enormous guarantee we are giving to the banks.

See this speech in context