Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I see a danger in this amendment. If we are to include a series of provisions in certain legislation because we think it is important that Dáil debates take place in certain circumstances, a future Government might decide it was free to refuse to hold a Dáil debate because a requirement to do so was not specifically written into the relevant legislation. If we write this provision into legislation as the Deputy proposes, there will be a risk to the freedom of the House and a particular risk to the Opposition when it seeks open debates on an issue it wishes to pursue.

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