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

Members might not realise that two schedules were distributed this morning, one indicating that the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill would be brought to a conclusion at midnight by a vote on one question. Fifteen minutes later we received a second schedule showing that the debate would merely be adjourned. Despite all of the Minister's protestations this morning about debate and so on, the reality is that it was the Government's initial intention to ram the legislation through by use of the guillotine. I welcome the change of heart, but there is no need to wait until 5 p.m. to resume that debate. It could be done much earlier if the schedule was reorganised to take out the Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill, the debate on Second Stage of which is essentially being guillotined. There is no need for its inclusion today unless, one assumes, it is the Government's intention to have the two referendums out of the way before the budget. That seems to be the agenda. Why is there an urgent need to get the Bill through in two hours today? Will the Government not give the two hours allocated for that purpose to the debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill? That would make more sense and it might even mean we would get out before midnight.

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