Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

It is not agreed. As Deputy Gilmore said, we received 30 pages of Report Stage amendments to the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill, which were circulated at 10.40 last night. Members have not had an opportunity to consider them. The amendments contain four major new policy initiatives about which we were not given notice, including a proposal for a sovereign annuity and sovereign bonds, the status of persons at work and the denial of employment rights to persons engaging in work placement programmes, the 4% levy on officeholders and major provisions in respect of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. No briefing was available on these important provisions today and it has proven impossible to obtain information from the relevant Departments. This is no way to do business.

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