Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

No, it is not agreed.

The proposal as presented here today, in the context of the economic crisis we currently face, fails to provide for the sharing of all the critical information necessary for Members of this House to fully play their part in addressing and seeking out solutions to the problems now presenting. The Taoiseach circulated a framework document to the social partners today to engage with them on matters pertaining to the agreement signed up to last year. Members of this House are not being made privy to the content and detail of that framework document.

In light of the debate currently signalled for the next two days and given that the substantial amount of work this House will address over the three sitting days of this week are statements on the economy, Members, in the absence of that information, are being asked to participate without the full raft of information necessary to inform their participation. Will the Taoiseach indicate that he will circulate the detail of the framework document that has been presented to the social partners to all Members to facilitate an informed debate and participation, given that he and other spokespersons, including the Minister for Finance, have repeatedly challenged the Opposition voices to come up with other solutions? All Opposition voices have a role in this regard in terms of providing information and making useful proposals, but that can only be done in the context of a sharing of the full information available.

If the Taoiseach is prepared to share with the social partners outside this House the content of the framework document, surely he has a responsibility to share the same information with the elected representatives in this House. I am not prepared to agree to the Order of Business in the absence of the Taoiseach indicating that this information will be shared to enable us to properly prepare for the statements on the economy over the next two days.

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