Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

This seems to be the guillotine season. Five guillotines have been applied to debates on legislation this week and most of them were unnecessary. The Taoiseach more or less acknowledged that in respect of the application of one yesterday, but guilloting the debate on this Bill is clearly unnecessary. There are only two amendments proposed to the Bill and plenty of time is available to debate them. One is in the name of the Minister and the other is in the name of the Labour Party's spokesperson, Deputy Burton.

There is no need for the debate on this Bill to be guillotined. I ask that the guillotine would be used only where it is necessary and where there is some urgency and requirement for legislation to be passed in a short space of time. Otherwise, we will get into the habit of simply rubber-stamping legislation that has not even been read in the House. I ask that this not be done. We can fairly well guarantee that this Bill will be passed today, given that only two amendments are proposed to it. Irrespective of how long Members wish to discuss them, the rules of the House will allow them only a certain length of time to do so. The Bill will be passed within the time allowed or, as I believe, well before that time. Therefore, there is no need to guillotine the debate on it.

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