David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This was to be the closing speech and it may yet be the closing speech. Certainly, I am somewhat confused on matters. I heard it said earlier that there might not be time next week, the following week or the week after that again. Looking at the business schedule for today, it states: "Statements re. Report the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (resumed, if not previously concluded)." It refers to "if not previously concluded". Usually, when one has plenty of time left, over two hours, and when one has no speakers, the normal convention while I have been here, and I am here longer than most in the House now, is that is the conclusion. Nobody is stopping anyone from speaking. There is no curtailment if people want to speak. There is no guillotine. If nobody is offering to speak, the Minister usually stands up and makes concluding remarks. I will make my remarks as I had prepared and they may well be the concluding remarks because it might be that the debate does not resume further. It may be that there is no one who wants to come back again after this.

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