Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I also object to the imposition of a guillotine on the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010. It never ceases to amaze me that issues which affect the poorest people in the country are always brushed aside in this House when Bills are rushed through and guillotined. Such issues do not get the kind of media headlines that other issues tend to get. Legislation that will affect the incomes of people on social welfare - people who have lost their jobs, pensioners, widows and widowers and people in difficult circumstances - is being rushed through and guillotined. The debate on the amendments to the Bill will be truncated. The various issues will not be given the time they require if they are to be addressed. The most disgusting thing about being in this House is the way poor people are treated. It is not even about how we divide on such matters, although we often disagree on them. It is about the pure lack of respect that is shown to people who are not well off. If we were talking about the incomes of people in well-paid employment, developers who are involved in the NAMA process or bank executives, loads of time would be devoted to it over many weeks. When we are considering legislation that affects people who are not well off and do not have big lobby organisations to speak on their behalf, we guillotine it and forget about them. It is unacceptable. I appeal to the Government, which is proposing to guillotine the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 at 7 p.m. this evening, to provide more time to deal with the various amendments, including those tabled by Deputy Shortall. It is not just a question of more time for debate - it is a question of showing respect to people who get very little respect in this House.

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