Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

How the Taoiseach responds will determine my attitude to the first proposal. We had requested that Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill be taken in the House, by which we meant a meeting of the House in Committee Stage with normal business being conducted on the respective days. As I understand it, the Government is now proposing that the House will not meet in normal session this Thursday and that the Chamber will be used for a meeting of the Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service to consider Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill and, that instead of the House meeting as normal next week, as it has done for the past two years following the October bank holiday weekend, the select committee will again use the Chamber to consider Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill. This is unacceptable for a number of reasons. First, that is not what we sought in terms of Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill. We sought to have the matter dealt with by the House. Second, this means there will be no Order of Business this Thursday and that there will be no Order of Business, Leaders' Questions or Question Time on Wednesday or Thursday next week. This is not acceptable to the Labour Party. Perhaps the Taoiseach will say when the arrangements for Committee Stage of the NAMA Bill will be brought before the House given they are not included in the proposals being put before us today. When will the proposals to deal with the NAMA Bill be put before the House? Also, will he reconsider those arrangements, which make a mockery of the House? It is a bit of sleight of hand to pretend that because the select committee has the hire of the hall next week the House will somehow be in full session. It will not be.

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