Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The point I am making here relates to the suppression of debate. What is happening here is another attempt to shut down any form of discussion. This Government promised a democratic revolution and the Minister of State with responsibility for Dáil procedures stated that there would be no guillotining of non-emergency legislation. The rationale behind what is being done here has not, despite all the smart comments, been explained by the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte. Why is this happening? Why is the House being denied an opportunity to debate this and other issues?

This is, as far as we are concerned, an extremely important matter, particularly in the context of Deputies being given an opportunity to debate the legislation in detail. I wish to put an alternative proposal whereby we could still have the sitting on Monday but that we would take Committee Stage of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012 instead of the other business that has been scheduled.

See this speech in context