Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have always operated on the basis of co-operation at the Business Committee and the expediency of delivering the business to which this House needs to attend, but this is a departure from anything I have seen. I was the first person to raise at the Business Committee a number of weeks ago that the Dáil should be provided with adequate time to discuss this vital matter. I was assured that this would be the case. I know that in subsequent weeks Members of the House across the different political groupings have raised the issue. Last week the Tánaiste stated its scheduling was a matter for the Business Committee, but it did not discuss the issue on Thursday. Not only was it not discussed in the context of this week's business, it was also not mentioned by the Government in the context of next week's business either. This is an incredibly serious matter that potentially signs up the State to massive defence expenditure in the next few years. The proposal is that we have 15 minutes for each group shoehorned into a Thursday session on the eve of the recess. It is completely unacceptable and I object to it in the strongest possible terms.

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