Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Order of Business is No. 18, statements on European Council, Brussels; and No. 3, the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2011 - Order for Second Stage, Second and Remaining Stages. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 8.30 p.m. tonight and business shall be interrupted on the conclusion of Private Members' business, which shall be No. 84, motion re health insurance (resumed), which shall take place at 7 p.m. tonight or on the conclusion of No. 3, whichever is the later, and which shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 99 minutes; and (2) the proceedings on No. 18 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 85 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the statements shall be confined to the Taoiseach and to the main spokespersons for Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, which shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case; (ii) a Minister or Minister of State shall take questions for a period not exceeding 20 minutes; and (iii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; (3) the suspension of sitting under Standing Order 23(1) shall take place at 1.30 p.m., or on the conclusion of No. 18, whichever is the later, until 2.30 p.m.; and (4) the Second and Remaining Stages of No. 3 shall be taken today and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the proceedings on the Second Stage shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 6 p.m.; the opening speech of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order, shall not exceed 15 minutes in each case, the speech of each other Member called upon shall not exceed ten minutes in each case, Members may share time, and a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and (ii) the proceedings on the Committee and Remaining Stages shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. tonight by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Finance.

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