Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I could be contradicted but my sense is that there has never been as many guillotines employed in the lead up to the summer recess, certainly in my years of experience here. As Opposition Deputies have repeatedly cautioned, it has already been proven that many guillotines were unnecessary. I believe they should only be applied in the most exceptional of circumstances. They were not applied to many of the propositions put before us over recent weeks. With whom does the Chief Whip tic-tac-toe on the hours necessary to address these Bills? It is not mirrored in any of the Opposition voices or by our respective whips. I do not know and fail to understand the configuration repeatedly presented. The same mistakes are signalled to recur again this week. I oppose the imposition of the guillotine on the Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 after one and a half hours with more than 40 amendments to be addressed and the business to conclude at midnight.

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