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

I note that the record of the meeting of the Business Committee last Thursday indicates that almost all members of the Opposition who were present dissented on the issue of no time being allocated for questions on Brexit and the vaccine issue. Today at short notice we have been advised that the debates relating to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that were scheduled have been pulled back. That has been welcomed by all members of the Opposition. It has saved two hours from the schedule today on the Government side and that is fine. I think the way to deal with the concerns that have been expressed is for the statements that are proposed for Thursday evening on the Covid-19 task force, the issue of vaccinations and Brexit to be taken on Friday. I propose that we now schedule a sitting for Friday and allow more time. The proposal for Thursday's business allocates 145 minutes each to Brexit and the Covid-19 task force. Instead, there should be two 220-minute debates, with time set aside for questions, and that business should be taken on Friday. The Government is packing everything into Thursday night. The Dáil is currently scheduled to sit until midnight on Thursday, but it will probably go on until 1 a.m. I suggest to the Taoiseach and the Chief Whip that the wise thing to do would be to take both sets of statements on Friday with a bit more time allocated to them and provision for questions and answers such that we can wrap up properly for the Christmas period having done our job effectively.

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