Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Labour Party does not agree to the Government's proposal to guillotine the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 at 10 p.m. The effect of this guillotine would leave only two speaking slots available for the Labour Party, which has some 20 Members, many of whom wish to contribute to the debate.

The Bill will make major changes to some social welfare provisions. Unemployed people will lose more than €2,500 due to the changes in the jobseeker's benefit. Parents of children aged 18 years will lose almost €2,000 due to the changes in child benefit. Parents of children aged five years will lose approximately €800 due to the changes in the early child care supplement.

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