Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The critical issue is not only that there will be no questions, Order of Business or Private Members' business next week but that there will be no votes. Why will there be no votes? The reality must be that the Government is far too far afraid or it already knows that it will not be able to muster enough support to ensure the Government's position if any vote were to be called on any of the matters before the House scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of next week. That is at the core of what this is all about.

This will not impress the wider population who already have a very understandably jaundiced opinion of political life and the role of politicians in serving their needs today. That applies across the board and it is not only a reflection on Government, it reflects just as uncomfortably on members of the Opposition.

In terms of the proposition before the House, it would have been better if the Government had decided to continue, as scheduled, not to sit than to come forward with this proposition and the methodology it has employed. We need only look at what we are facing - the issues that are presenting here. Yesterday the Tánaiste and the Minister for Education and Skills announced curtailments in library services to schools in disadvantaged communities. We cannot get responses from specific Ministers. The Minister for Transport sitting beside the Tánaiste is not responding to parliamentary questions - I am sure this is not only my experience - on roads and public transport.

See this speech in context