Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I support Deputy Kenny's point that this Bill should not be guillotined. In fact, this Bill should not be before the House at all. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan will deal with that when we address its content. This is the Bill to provide for the withdrawal of medical cards from some pensioners. It is a scandalous item of legislation to bring before the House. The revised schedule, giving us advance notice of business for the week, tells us that it is the Government's intention to guillotine this Bill at 1.30 p.m. tomorrow. There is no proposal on this before us this morning but we can see the guillotine in the distance. It will be applied at 1.30 p.m. tomorrow. That is what the Labour Party Whip has been told. In those circumstances, the Labour Party cannot agree to taking this Bill.

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