Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

In normal circumstances, the proposal before the House would be acceptable. However, there are a number of reasons it is not acceptable. We are not in normal circumstances. The Taoiseach is attending the EU summit this weekend. It is normal when there is a summit that the Taoiseach comes back and reports to the House and we have a debate on what has happened. I believe at a minimum there should be an opportunity for that next week. It is important that it should happen because the matters under consideration at the summit include the economic situation and the financial crisis in Europe, the risks to the euro and a proposal which is being introduced by the Council President for an amendment to the Lisbon treaty. It is not acceptable that we have to wait until mid-January before the House can consider the outcome of this important European Council meeting. The House should return next week at least for a day to hear and consider the Taoiseach's report from the summit.

I asked the Tánaiste earlier for clarity about the Government's intentions with regard to the publication of, and the debate on, the finance Bill and the dissolution of the Dáil. We had a clear statement in November from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government where he said that "...we have now reached a point where the Irish people need political certainty to take them beyond the coming months. So, we believe it is time to fix a date for a general election in the second half of January 2011". I agree with that and it would not be unreasonable that we come back on 12 January; that the finance Bill is published in advance of our return; that we take two weeks to debate and deal with it; and, in line with the commitment the Minister gave to the Irish people, that the Dáil is dissolved by the end of January and we have the general election to provide political certainty for the time ahead.

If we come back here on 12 January and we are not in a position to know that we have two weeks to deal with the finance Bill and that the Dáil will be dissolved at the end of January, this party intends to put the issue to the test in the House as to how much longer this Government intends to drag out the holding of a general election, which the people of the country are seeking and which the country needs.

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