Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I will be brief. We were not to discuss the contents of the banking reports which so damningly criticise the performance of the Government and, in particular, of the Taoiseach over a period of time. The Government hatched those reports for ten days and is not allowing any discussion here in the Dáil. It then tried to news manage the release of the reports yesterday, which backfired spectacularly on the Government, to the credit of the press in this country which was not going to be treated to the kind of spin and news management that was clearly intended. We are now in the unusual situation that the two reports, one of which is from the Governor of the Central Bank, which criticises in very damning terms the performance of the Government and of the Taoiseach, can be discussed everywhere in the country except in the House of Parliament.

I have asked two questions on a point of order. One is to the Tánaiste. When are we going to see the Government counter-motion on the motion of confidence? The second question is to the Ceann Comhairle. Will he follow the precedent that has existed in this House from the foundation of the State, which is that a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach or a motion of confidence in the Government, takes precedence over all other business being conducted in the House? That motion of confidence, in my view, must be taken and debated today.

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