Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy should hold on. Over the summer period, the staff working with the committee were working on revised Standing Orders in the areas where agreement had been reached or where we were close to achieving agreement. I already addressed the issue of the questions to agencies and written parliamentary questions by Members of the Dáil on other issues. There is agreement on those and it will not take very long for us to bring the proposals forward.

Some of what Deputy Stag says might make good rhetoric in the House and good copy but the reality is that this side of the House, in co-operation with the Opposition, by and large, managed to sit longer last year than in many a long day. It sat for more weeks and for longer hours and put through a greater volume of legislation. There was also a wide range of debates at very short notice and that was to the benefit of the House and of the people we represent. I will not take lectures from anyone concerning the commitment of this Government. The issue of Leaders' Questions is set down in Standing Orders and as far as I recall the Labour Party was a party to those and to the way in which Leaders' Questions were to be taken on Tuesday and Wednesday. If Deputy Stagg wishes to propose a change to Standing Orders, it is open to his party to do so.

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