Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

9 o’clock

Over the past month, the Minister and the Government spoke about how this issue would be clarified and people would be satisfied with that clarity. Tonight, we have anything but clarity; instead, we have a bank of fog. We have no clarity in the figures for houses or the cost of administering the grant. It is quite clear that the House does not know if the introduction of these charges will cost the taxpayer and the State money.

I hoped the Minister would at this stage have offered the House an adjournment, and I still hope he might do so. If he is not prepared to do that, I propose an adjournment. My understanding of Standing Orders is the Leas-Cheann Comhairle can make a decision in that regard. In the event of the Minister offering to adjourn, there would be no need for that, and I hope that will happen. If that does not transpire, I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to adjourn the House until next Tuesday at 2 p.m. to allow the Minister and the Government to give some clarity on the various figures at issue tonight.

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