Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The third proposal is to introduce the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013, which is to be considered until approximately 8 p.m. It is proposed that any division demanded on the resumed Second Stage of No. 4 shall be taken immediately after the Order of Business on Tuesday, 26 November 2013. I question the practice of introducing serious legislation on a Thursday while making it convenient for Members not to be present. If we are introducing serious legislation such as that to be considered - I will not discuss the content - and a vote is necessary, we should not postpone that vote for four or five days to suit Government Members who choose to be present the following Tuesday. Although they want legislation to be discussed in the House tonight, they do not want to be present to vote on it if there is a division. We are downgrading the Dáil and demeaning the debate tonight. If legislation is to be voted on in the future, I ask that the Chamber vote on it at the end of the debate rather than five days later.

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