Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Last week the Opposition Whips were told the Social Welfare Bill would be taken on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. During the week we began to hear, not from the Chief Whip but from Government backbenchers, that a different arrangement was planned, whereby the Bill would go through this week. That was to protect them from constituency fire over the weekend.

There is an alternative. As the Taoiseach said, two Bills must be enacted before the Christmas recess to give effect to the provisions of the budget - the Social Welfare Bill and the Bill on public sector pay.

Both Bills have been published. I suggest we take Second Stage of both Bills this week and Committee and Remaining Stages of both Bills next week. That way both Bills will be enacted prior to the Christmas recess but at least we will have an opportunity to have a proper Committee Stage debate. The irony is that under the rules of the House, the deadline for submitting amendments to the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009 passed at 11 a.m. yesterday. The deadline passed before the Bill was published and the budget was announced. We can get over this if the Government is being genuine and this is not just about protecting people from fire over the weekend. We will agree arrangements to have Second Stage of both Bills this week with Committee and Remaining Stages of both Bills next week which would still get them through prior to Christmas. It is a more reasonable way of dealing with them.

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