Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

----- if the Deputies required them but they did not use them. Five hours was spent on one amendment yesterday. Deputies cannot come in here on a Wednesday and engage in a parliamentary filibuster and then come in on Thursday and say they want more time to debate the Bill as they have not had enough time already.

I do not intend to change the arrangements, as has been requested, for statements on intercountry adoption as this is an issue that concerns many people in the country and many sensitivities are involved. We have seen what has been happening in Mexico recently and there are also issues with regard to Vietnam. The time should be allowed for in the House today and I do not intend to change those arrangements.

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