Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I, too, wish to oppose the Order of Business. There are serious matters that this House needs to discuss immediately after Christmas. It is unacceptable that we should have to wait until 19 January to do so.

The original schedule for the sittings of the House provided that it would be back on 13 January 2010. I welcomed that the House was coming back earlier than was previously the case. Deputy Kenny mentioned that we need to debate a proposal to establish an inquiry as to what happened to our banking system. I invite the Taoiseach to say if he has such a proposal yet.

We know the banks will be back in the new year with the lámh amach arís for more money. We will also be dealing with the consequences of the budget. The issue of those hit with social welfare cuts will impact at the beginning of January. We need to be in a position for the House to come back quickly and deal with the fall-out of that. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Bill 2009, passed yesterday by the House, will give rise to serious anomalies in public servants' payments. For example, the definition of "public service" used in the Bill is the same as that used for the pension levy. There was a logic in using it for the pension levy because it was designed to provide for a situation that people who did not have access to a pension would not be hit with it. The definition used in the Bill yesterday will give rise to all kinds of anomalies in the new year as to who will be impacted. The Dáil needs clarification on this earlier than 19 January.

It is somewhat ironic, a Cheann Comhairle, that the Taoiseach and the Government collapsed the pay talks with the trade unions over a proposal for additional leave and then come in here to propose an additional week's leave for themselves after Christmas.

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