Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I must object for the same reasons as apply to the speaking arrangements. We will see a situation where many of the Opposition parties and groups will not get to speak until two or three hours into a debate. That is a devious and underhanded attempt by the Government to silence the Opposition. In response to the Minister I note that unless there is a guillotine, backbenchers have always had as much speaking time as they want on legislation. The debate has gone on until the exhaustion of all speakers. It is utterly dishonest of the Government to say that it has not done something to gag, mute, undermine, neutralise and marginalise opposition voices. In a situation which is now looking very precarious as we face the threat of Covid-19, in which we need as much co-operation as possible, the Minister and the Government have made a big mistake. We are not going to let this go.

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