Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Order of Business today is, No. 8, motion re membership of committees; No. 9, motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Defamation Act 2009 (Press Council) Order 2010; No. 21, statements on European Council, Brussels; No. 22, Merchant Shipping Bill 2009 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that Nos. 8 and 9 shall be decided without debate; the proceedings on No. 21 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 85 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: the statements shall be confined to the Taoiseach and to the main spokespersons for Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin, who shall be called upon in that order, who may share time, and who shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; a Minister or Minister of State shall take questions for a period not exceeding 20 minutes and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply, which shall not exceed five minutes. The suspension of sitting under Standing Order 23(1) shall take place at 1.30 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 21, whichever is the later, until 2.30 p.m. Private Members' Business shall be No. 72, motion re education special needs to be taken at 5.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after three hours.

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