Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The House cannot support this. I understand that there are approximately 170 amendments. While the Minister may have been able to offer some justification in respect of the previous two proposals, namely, that there are issues of urgency and immediacy and that the House has had ample time to debate, the same defence cannot be offered in this case where there is a great deal of new Government and Opposition material. The House is entitled to debate the amendments properly. The imposition of a guillotine in this case is inappropriate. Indeed, it is generally inappropriate and flashing guillotines everywhere is unhelpful to Dáil business.

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