Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

On behalf of the Labour Party, I support the proposal made by Deputy Kenny. This is an extraordinary day and we have an emergency in the country. People's homes have been flooded and many of those whose homes have not been flooded to date fear they will be in trouble. There is a huge problem. I appreciate there is a motion down for debate at Private Members' time, but that is a restricted form of debate which is limited to those proposing the motion, a Minister responding and a few other speakers if we are lucky.

This is not a day when we can do business as usual. It is a day when one part of the country is under water and when virtually every public office and service in the State is closed down in an industrial dispute. Is it seriously being suggested in the national Parliament that Members, who represent constituencies that are under water and people whose homes have been flooded and whose businesses have been ruined and who are frightened about what faces them, cannot debate the matter here? Deputy Kenny and I raised this issue on Leaders' questions. We did not do this in an adversarial way but in order to respond to the situation and to try to get some response from Government. It is reasonable that Members who represent constituencies and people directly affected by this should have the opportunity to debate the issue and have their say on it in Government time, not Private Members' time.

Deputy Kenny has proposed a formula whereby that can be done. I support that, but I would make one slight change. I think we could deal with the statements on the industrial dispute immediately after the Order of Business. This would, among other things, allow the Ministers who must deal with the emergency situation to prepare for the debate and take advice or do whatever is necessary. This small alteration in the order in which we deal with the issue might be acceptable. This is not a business as usual day. I appeal to the Taoiseach to agree, on behalf of the Government, to allow us deal with this issue. It is unthinkable that Members must go back to their constituencies and face people whose homes have been flooded, businesses ruined and their farms left under water and when they are asked whether they raised the matter to have to reply they are sorry but they could not because of the rules of the House. People will find that laughable. It will make this House and the institutional Parliament a laughing stock and irrelevant. I appeal to the Taoiseach to agree to the proposal made by Deputy Kenny, with the adjustment I have suggested, and that we get on and deal with the issue.

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