Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is true. The Deputy should check the record. I was Opposition Chief Whip since 2004 and I can assure the Deputy that I have looked back at the record. Every Social Welfare Bill since I came into this House in 2002 has been guillotined.

We spoke about the Constitutional Convention and the debates coming up. We are making time available. The convention reported back to the Minister who will bring a memorandum to Cabinet shortly. As soon as the memorandum is brought to Cabinet, we will have those outstanding debates in the Dáil. The convention was extremely important and worked very well. I would have liked to have seen the topics discussed at the convention given more time in the Dáil. Some of them were very important. Due to time pressures relating to troika commitments in the past two and a half years, they did not get the debate that I felt they deserved. When one sees 66 members of the public giving their time on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, they were interested enough in coming together with Deputies. This is something about which I was very sceptical when it originated. I wondered whether Deputies would stay out of their constituencies once a month on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. In fairness, they did so. There was a huge turnout of Deputies, Senators and parliamentarians in general from North and South. I welcomed that and I thank both the Opposition and Government Deputies for their commitment to the Constitutional Convention for the past two years because it worked extremely well. I believe this Government and future Governments can look at it. It was a good way of debating our Constitution. Some real and controversial issues were brought forward in a completely different manner from that used in the past. It was good to see that working. I assure the House that I will give the outstanding issues that must be debated plenty of time in the Dáil.

The Deputy mentioned parliamentary questions being answered in the summer. This has been an issue since I entered the House. I do not think it is as much of an issue as it used to be. When I first entered the House, we finished up in late June and came back on the last Wednesday in September, so one was off for almost three months. We are now off for six weeks. We finish the last week in July, have four weeks off in August and are back here in the second week in September. I understand that Ministers want to see replies to parliamentary questions going through their Departments. When a parliamentary question is replied to, the Minister would like to see it. Everyone understands they are away for August. We would like to see it but that is the way it is. If Ministers are on holidays, they are on holidays and that is the way it is. I would like the Deputy to accept that and understand where I am coming from when I say that.

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