Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

There is no justification for the House adjourning until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The public holiday is on Monday. This House should be sitting as normal on Tuesday. I understand the 2.30 p.m. arrangement on Wednesday is to facilitate the commemorative event at Arbour Hill earlier in the day which is an added reason that we should be sitting on Tuesday. There is no shortage of business to be dealt with next week.

On the matter I raised earlier, the Tánaiste is wrong. She herself made a promise that the special allowance would be brought in before the carbon levy was introduced. This is an issue the Labour Party would like to return to on Tuesday if the House were sitting.

Other matters which could be addressed on Tuesday include the plight of the 800 workers in Quinn Insurance, the implications of what is happening in Greece for the euro and our economy and the messages from Brussels on the Government's plans for Anglo Irish Bank. This is apart from the long list of legislation the Government has promised but not delivered.

There is no justification whatever for adjourning the House until Wednesday. This is happening because the Government is taking every opportunity and excuse to be out of the House so it will not be answerable to the Dáil and Members of the Opposition. It is running away from the problems of the country and being accountable to the House for them.

See this speech in context