Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Please let me explain the reasons I am opposing the Order of Business. The country is in a very serious state of affairs. We have people from international institutions over in the Department of Finance and we are told by the Governor of the Central Bank this morning that they are negotiating a multi-billion euro loan. My party and I want an opportunity to discuss these matters adequately in the House today and to hear from the Government, first of all, if it is the case, as the Governor of the Central Bank said, that a multi-billion euro loan is being negotiated. Second, if that is the case, I want to know what are the conditions the Government is negotiating with respect to that loan and what implications those conditions will have for public and budgetary policy in this country. We will not be able to do that with statements solely on banking confined to 95 minutes, which will not take into account the number of interventions that the Ceann Comhairle will no doubt make during the course of the debate.

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