Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Renua Ireland) | Oireachtas source

This is probably the most important legislation to go through the House this year. I will not make reference to the commitments that were given in the past about democratic accountability and the democratic revolution. I was a party to them myself. I deeply regret that the Government has chosen to adopt this approach and at the eleventh hour day, to put out an amended order to guillotine this most important legislation.

Deputy Naughten made a point about a certain cohort of people in this House having virtually no access to speaking time. It is not just the Government that is at fault. Our so-called friends in the Technical Group - the great defenders of democracy - are quite guarded in respect of the time they are allocated and will not give time to our grouping, which is known as "others".

I ask the Acting Chairman to use his position to request the Minister to give me a full ten minute slot. I have listened to Deputy O'Donovan lay down a challenge to the interest groups that come to Buswells Hotel or wherever he mentioned to actually examine the proposals of the Opposition and what it has to say about the budget. Renua Ireland published its pre-budget submission but this is the only real forum we have in which to articulate our views. We do not have access to State funding, unlike the other groupings in here. We cannot hire a big hall with our big green sign stating "Action Plan for Jobs" or "Measure No. 167 now taken" behind us, invite the media and put on a big display. We do not have that access but this is the one place where we should be treated in an equal manner. I have listened to a lot of hot air inside and outside this House about equality and recognition of ethnic groups.

Some Government spokespeople last night spoke in favour of a motion and they had not the courage to turn up and vote for it. I am sick and tired of the approach of letting what the Government does go by. It has become almost a standard procedure that there is nothing unusual or abnormal about the Government because it has a big majority rubberstamping legislation and letting it through. This House has become increasingly irrelevant, day by day.

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