Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I would also like to object to the manner in which the Taoiseach proposes we should deal with the long-heralded reshuffle of the Cabinet, which is to be announced today. He has proposed that the House should resume at 3.15 p.m. in order that he can make the announcement and the leaders of the parties can make 15-minute statements in the House. That will account for an hour of the debate. A further ten minutes will be accounted for when a Government Minister wraps up at the end of the debate. The remaining hour and 50 minutes will be divided equally between Government and Opposition speakers. Therefore, Opposition Deputies will have 55 minutes in which to comment on changes in the Government. We do not yet know what the extent of such changes will be. The changes may relate purely to personnel.

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