Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government changed the way business was conducted by changing the old Adjournment Debate which was held at midnight or 1 a.m. for years without anyone showing an interest in it. On a small number of occasions, we have had to change the time of the Topical Issue debate, which normally takes place in the course of the day. The debate gives Deputies the right to ask questions and obtain answers from Ministers.

We are in the closing stages of this session. The Water Services Bill was published on 2 December and so far there have been 11 hours of debate on Second Stage and 13 hours of debate on Committee Stage. Of the 46 Committee Stage amendments submitted, 16 were ruled out of order. When the debate was adjourned on Friday, Deputies had voted on amendment No. 29 and were debating section 7. Fourteen amendments remain to be debated in eight groups on Committee Stage. The Minister and a number of Deputies have indicated that they intend to table amendments on Report Stage. The Committee Stage debate is scheduled to resume after the Order of Business and continue until 8.30 p.m. when we will take Private Members' business which will be followed by the Topical Issue debate. The debate will resume at 10.45 a.m. on Wednesday and continue until noon when we will take Leaders' Questions, the Order of Business and statements on the European Council. It will resume again at 2 p.m. and continue until 6 p.m. when we will have a sos for one hour. The debate on Report and Final Stages will commence at 7 p.m. and continue until 9.30 p.m. when the House will take Private Members' business and the Topical Issue debate before rising at 11.50 p.m. If Deputies wish to take the Topical Issue debate at the time scheduled for statements on the European Council, I do not mind. The Water Services Bill will then be brought to the Seanad where the Second Stage debate has been scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, 18 December, with Committee Stage scheduled to be taken at 10 a.m. on Friday, 19 December, and Report Stage being taken subsequently. The Seanad may also sit on Monday, 22 December. The schedules of both Houses are subject to change.

The proposal which aims to bring some cohesion to the remainder of the debate is to group the Committee Stage amendments to the Bill in the way that is normally done, for instance, in the case of the Finance Bill. There are rankings of committee proposals in order of priority. A number have been ruled out of order and all of the others will be discussed individually.

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