Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We had serious concerns about the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020 being taken this week. Almost everybody in the Opposition opposed the Order of Business at the meeting last Thursday.

That is on the record and yet the Bill is going ahead. This is hugely controversial legislation. Appeals have been made that the Government would engage with the survivors, their families and legal representatives, but consideration of the Bill is going ahead and there is no way that the many voices in opposition can affect its being pushed on. Serious events were discussed during Leaders' Questions. The Government is talking about reordering the schedule for Thursday's sitting. Even if an hour and a half is set aside for discussion of the new restrictions, we will be eating into the time available for debating the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill on Thursday. Sinn Féin is proposing that we sit on Friday. There needs to be ample time to debate the extension of sunset clause emergency measures. We need ample time to do that on Friday.

Deputy Gannon mentioned the issue of education. My colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, is appealing that we would have statements and debate time with the Minister for Education and Skills about the serious safety concerns in the schools, including issues around testing and tracing. We are asking an enormous amount of our teachers and students and there needs to be ample debate. We are saying that Friday needs to be set aside for these debates. We should not be packing such debates into a schedule that already includes controversial mother and baby home legislation, discussion of which is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

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