James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

No, it is not agreed. I want to make clear that I will not co-operate in any shape or fashion with this process unless I get satisfaction on this. This is key to the Bill. We will be in breach of EU competition law and we will be taken to the European Court of Justice and fined. The Spanish were fined €20 million for their breaches and a daily amount thereafter. Is the Minister going to proceed with this in such a feckless manner? We will receive a fine that will increase with each day this Bill is enacted before the provisions of solvency are met by the VHI. That is how we are in conflict with Europe and that is what has been ruled out of order in a most tenuous way. I cannot accept that and I will not co-operate in any way with business in this House for the remainder of the debate if this is not addressed. It is scurrilous that the key point we are making is to be ignored.

I can hear the advice being given to the Acting Chairman but the point is that the EU Commission had not ruled on this before this debate and had not stated it was going to take us to the European Court of Justice. This is not a rehash, new facts have come to light and they must be discussed.

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