Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

On the matter of Dáil reform and the legislation required arising from it, a package of Dáil reform was effectively agreed between all parties prior to the summer recess. The then Chief Whip, Deputy Pat Carey, informed the Dáil reform committee that he could not proceed any further. In other words, the Government, or the Taoiseach personally, had vetoed the package. No meeting of the Dáil reform committee has taken place since before the new Chief Whip was appointed. The issues we are dealing with are archaic and outdated procedures, which everyone agrees need to change, poor organisation of the time we have available, the need for extra time and Adjournment debates where a Minister of State comes into the Chamber with a bundle of scripts he has not seen and then reads them out. He does not take any heed of what the Member raises on the Adjournment debate. It is a form of insult to the House.

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