Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Proposal No. 1 on the extension of time for a Thursday sitting is to accommodate the introduction of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill. It is unprecedented that the Bill is following not only the budget debate but is coming immediately after the leaders' contributions and that the debate on the budget will be suspended to accommodate the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill today and tomorrow.

I agree with the previous speaker that this is all about ensuring Government Deputies, backbenchers in particular, do not find themselves under serious pressure over the weekend, take a fit of the jitters and become unable to sustain their support for the Social Welfare Bill measures in the subsequent week or post-Christmas. The Government is forcing ahead with the social welfare changes in legislation this week before even the substantive debate, outside the finance spokespersons and the party leaders, is under way on the measures announced in the House yesterday.

What are we looking at in regard to the social welfare Bill which is the critical mass of address today and tomorrow? Shamefully, we are looking at cuts in jobseeker's allowance, farm assist, pre-retirement allowance, supplementary welfare allowance, widow's and widower's pensions, deserted wives allowance, benefit schemes in regard to disability pension and invalidity pension-----

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