Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to object very strongly. Sinn Féin put forward a motion of no confidence and called on the Taoiseach to resign as part of our Private Members' business. Rather than allowing that to proceed, however, as a competent Government with an unprecedented majority, the Government overturned the entire Dáil schedule for today. That is why we have this sort of ad hocery creeping into how we do our business. There was no consultation, certainly with Sinn Féin, on this issue and I presume therefore with none of the other Opposition parties either. It puts the commitments to political reform into some sharp relief. This is all so that the Government can put a motion of confidence in itself, as opposed to allowing the normal business of an Opposition party putting its motion of choice.

We want to strongly object to the way in which the Government has undermined the right of the Opposition, as well as of those who give us a mandate to come here, and has therefore undermined the Oireachtas.

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