David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----to be here on certain days. We are as busy as the Taoiseach is and everyone in the Chamber has his or her own work. When we are told that the Minister for Health will attend on Friday, he should be here on Friday. All we are asking is whether the business can be rescheduled so that both sittings can be accommodated. We accept that the Seanad has to do its work and pass legislation, but to just put our business off on Friday willy-nilly and with no consideration for anyone else is unacceptable. It is the first time that the Minister for Health is to be before the Dáil. In fact, we will have statements next week as well - it would not be good to have statements twice in one week. We have urgent questions that we need to put and clarifications are necessary. All we are asking is for the Government to show a bit of good faith and try to reschedule the sittings of the Seanad and the Dáil so as to accommodate the Minister.

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