Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I object to this proposal because it cuts across the suggestion I made to the Taoiseach in respect of dealing with the Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which provides for the extension of the bank guarantee scheme. The explanation the Taoiseach has given us as to why the Government wants to have this Bill dealt with in one sitting today does not stand up. The idea, for example, that it has to be dealt with this evening because the statutory instruments legislation must be dealt with before the statutory instruments are ready does not stand up when it can be dealt with at a more reasonable pace tomorrow and Thursday. The final argument that he put, namely, that somehow he was going to inconvenience the Chief Whip if he agreed to our request and that his hands were tied, is farcical.

We are in a situation where the Government is deciding, as it often does at the end of a parliamentary session, to use its parliamentary majority to force certain measures through the House in a short period of time. There are two reasons this is not appropriate on this occasion.

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