Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I concur with all the other speakers. If one wants to have a proper debate, I question going late into the night with the debate when everyone is tired. The previous two sittings have been late. Members want a proper debate. The House should sit on Friday where everyone would have a night's sleep and we would have full discussions on this. Even with the way the structure is set out for debates at present, for the likes of the Rural Independents to get in, the structure is all wrong.

The Government parties all want to speak first. They will put people to sleep. People want us to ask questions of them and they want them to answer to us. They do not want to have to wait. Members ran into this Chamber last week and on RTÉ were shown to be winded and unable to speak because of their slots. This has to change. We need proper debate, proper dialogue and a proper timetable where everyone can come in and debate properly.

See this speech in context