Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We already indicated to the Business Committee in advance that the putting back of Private Members' time from 8 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. to facilitate the recommital of the Bail (Amendment) Bill is not satisfactory from our point of view. It is our Private Members' time this week and many people committed to Defence Force issues will be in attendance this evening. Having Private Members' debates taken at very late hours does not do them any justice and undermines any potential impact such debates can have.

We remain continually opposed to the manner in which the time is allocated to respective parties on debates such as that on the EU Council. The manner in which debating time is allocated in the House is not fair and it has been referred to the Sub-committee on Dáil Reform. We have a situation where Members of a party with 44 Deputies get ten minutes and a party with three Deputies also gets ten minutes. That is not fair. It is not d'Hondt, it is not proportionate and it is not reasonable. Many backbenchers in the main parties cannot get an opportunity to make any contribution to these debates. I am putting the House on notice we believe this is very unfair to parties generally. We are open to a reasonable accommodation and agreement on this, but as things are currently structured we cannot support it.

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