Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

Opposition Members also regularly start up the cant about the guillotine regardless of what legislation is in question. If a decision is taken by the Whips to advance a Bill and to bring it to a conclusion to get rid of the filibuster, Opposition Members are on their heels and voting against the introduction of the guillotine. There is outrage on all sides. Now the Opposition parties want to guillotine the most important Bill of the year. Do they think the public buys this?

The motion "recognises the urgent need for the establishment of economic and political stability". That will happen when there is a proper budgetary discussion in the House and the Government sets out clearly the objectives for the year ahead; how we will bring order to the public finances and bridge the gap between spending and borrowing; bring some certainty to the international markets and to the lives of our people; set out a strategy for the creation and promotion of jobs; and to dispense, in so far as possible, with the political bickering, which has such a negative impact on the lives of many people. When we conclude it is not business as usual and people who are suffering greatly do not need to see the chicanery that, unfortunately, is such a part of the process and arcane and archaic approach we take in the House. The sooner we can bring about structural reform in the way the House conducts its business, the better it will be for everybody.

See this speech in context