Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The ordering of business is now a matter for the House itself, rather than in former Dáileanna where it was a matter for the Government.

I submitted a private notice question to the Ceann Comhairle on a matter of very serious importance, namely, the executive order signed by President Trump and its implications for this country. It is important that we deal with this issue today and that we have clarity on a range of issues which I set out in the private notice question. I am very supportive of the retention of pre-clearance facilities in this country, which were hard fought for. We must have assurances that international law is complied with and it would be good for us to hear a clear statement to that effect from the Taoiseach. I ask the House to set aside two hours to debate these issues today and maybe 30 minutes at the end for a question and answer session with the Taoiseach or a designated Minister so that our attitude to this critical issue is very clear and clarity can be given to the impact on our country.

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