Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to oppose No.1 because it contains some extraordinary arrangements for next week's business. The Government is proposing that there be no questions next week, no Leaders' Questions except on Tuesday, and no Order of Business on Wednesday. This is being done to clear the decks for the budget. I understand that it is also the Government's intention to bring in a social welfare Bill next week.

Under normal circumstances, that would be a remarkable way to do the budget but it is particularly so this year in light of the document that was presented here yesterday evening at the end of the EU-IMF agreement. I described that agreement as a sell-out at the weekend but it was not until yesterday evening that we got the document containing the full details of the sell-out. I had been looking for the various documents relating to the deal and we did not see them until yesterday evening. It is an extraordinary document.

The Government is effectively proposing to agree the budgets for the next three years with the EU and with the IMF. It is down to a level of detail that we have never seen before, and includes amounts of expenditure and amounts of tax, specific timetabled commitments in respect of property taxes, water charges and pensions, none of which has been legislated for by the House. It amounts to a surrender of the country's economic freedom. That is what is contained in this document.

The Labour Party cannot be bound by what is contained in the document, not only for democratic reasons, but also because it will not work.

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