Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Tomorrow we have been told we will have a vote on the memorandum of understanding relating to the agreement between the Government and the IMF and the European institutions. We have not yet been supplied with the text of the motion, which we are to debate tomorrow. Four hours are also being allocated tomorrow to deal with complex legislation on banking, the Bill for which was only circulated earlier today. It runs to more than 70 sections dealing with complex banking issues. It was supplied to the Opposition parties at lunchtime and we are expected to debate it, consider it and tease it out in four hours tomorrow. This shows no respect for this House.

I am struck by the irony of the fact that the IMF decided to postpone its decision on the approval of the IMF-EU deal out of respect for the Irish parliamentary process.

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