Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I join earlier speakers in opposing the Order of Business as presented, which covers not only the business of the House today but tomorrow's business. There are real concerns that the NAMA proposition - in regard to which we may be merely going through the motions in terms of the taking of the various Stages of the legislation on which there is already a done deal in regard to the Government formation - will be foisted on the Irish people. It is a proposition that spells economic disaster potentially not only for this but for future generations. It is as if the Minister for Finance had stood before a slot machine and pulled its arm in the hope that things would turn out right.

This is a serious matter and the Taoiseach's continual referencing to this being the only way in which the current difficulties can be addressed is simply not the case. Alternative propositions have been put forward by all the Opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, for their meritorious scrutiny and debate in this Chamber. In the way the debate is structured, there will not be an opportunity in the course of the passage of Second, Committee, Report and Final Stages of this legislation to question much of its detail . We can make our respective contributions but we will not have the facilitation of a question and answer session with the Minister and the Taoiseach to go into the core, nitty gritty and fine detail of the legislation, aspects of which they can, and may, withhold from the Members of the House.

The Government does not have a mandate to introduce NAMA. That is a fact. It is something on which the Irish people should be asked to pass judgment. The only way that can be done is in a referendum. I ask the Taoiseach to indicate here today that he will request that the Government support a request of the President - which she is entitled to do under the Constitution - to refer this matter to the people. If there is opposition from the Government to such a proposition, there is within the Constitution the right of one third of the Members of this House and in excess of a majority of the Seanad Members to appeal to the President to refer the matter to the people by way of a referendum. The people, ultimately, should be given the opportunity to pass judgment on this proposition. We hold strongly to this. I appeal particularly to the Fine Gael, Labour and Independent Members of the Opposition to append their support to this proposal to petition the President.

I,too, have concerns about the ordering of the passage of the further Stages of this legislation. We have no indication as yet on what is to happen next week, post the week's recess, in order to facilitate the final week of campaigning on the Lisbon treaty. What are the Government's intentions on ordering this legislation's passage through this Chamber and the Upper House?

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