Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I oppose No. 11, the order to rescind the referral of the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 to the Select sub-Committee on Social Protection. This is an example of how this House is doing its business in the wrong way. Every Bill should go through its proper Stages as laid out in the White Paper, Regulating Better. Both parties in government agreed with this and quoted it on a number of occasions in the House. It laid out that the heads of a Bill would be published first, then debated at the relevant committee, sent back to the Minister and the Cabinet, followed by First Stage with a two week gap to Second Stage and a further two week gap between Second and Committee Stages. The problem is that legislation is being published and then rushed through the House. The most appropriate place to have a considered and informed Committee Stage debate with the Minister and her officials on the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 is the committee rather than on the floor of the House, as proposed today. There are occasions when it is better to have the whole Dáil meet in committee to deal with legislation. As there is no urgency attached to the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013, it would be better to refer it to the relevant committee in order that it can analyse, add to or correct it.

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