Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

With regard to the NAMA Bill, did the Taoiseach suggest that the arrangements for the basement debate on Committee Stage as opposed to a debate on the floor of the House on probably the most significant financial measure, where his Government proposes to overpay for assets by at least €7 billion, will follow those in place for the Finance Bill whereby blocks of time are devoted to groupings of sections? That is different from not imposing a guillotine because, for example, the critical part of the Bill dealing with long-term economic value comprises a number of sections around section 70. If the debate is broken into blocks of time, it could mean there will be no opportunity to debate the mechanism by which we overpay for long-term economic value, depending on where sections in the late 60s and the 70s come.

With regard to having the debate on the floor of the House, has the Government decided that this important debate will be held in a basement committee room?

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