Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

On a point of order, the point I made earlier was simple and could have been of assistance to the Ceann Comhairle. The Government indeed proposes our business and we vote on it, but the Government does not, for example, own Standing Order 32. Requests under this Standing Order have only been granted two or three times but it enables Members in assembly to decide whether to respond to urgent matters requiring attention. No Government has the right to stand down the Standing Order that enables the Parliament in assembly to address a matter it regards as urgent. The Ceann Comhairle has been given lots of examples of what may be urgent next week.

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